SHIMLA: Ahead of his scheduled retirement on March 31 — later extended by six months — Himachal Pradesh chief secretary Prabodh Saxena hosted a lunch party for IAS officers and their families on Holi (March 14) at the state-run Hotel Holiday Home in Shimla, and has now sent the Rs 1.22 lakh bill to the secretary of the general administration department for payment.
The expenses included 77 meals for IAS officers and their families at Rs 1,000 per person, meals for 22 drivers at Rs 585 each, Rs 11,800 taxi charges, and Rs 22,350 as taxes and other charges.
Attempts to contact Saxena were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls or messages regarding the bill.
On whether it was an official or a personal party, the general administration department secretary, Rajesh Sharma, told TOI that the chief secretary would be the best person to give the answer. Asked who would pay the Rs 1.22 lakh bill, Sharma replied, “Obviously, it has to be done according to the directions of the final authority. You need to ask the chief secretary only.”
This is not the first case in the state of bureaucrats facing allegations of misusing the cash-strapped Himachal govt’s exchequer.
Earlier, former chief secretary and former Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Rera) chairperson Shrikant Baldi faced charges of gifting apple boxes — purchased using Rera funds during his tenure — to various serving and retired officers of Himachal and other states, including Rajasthan and Haryana. After his superannuation from the post of chief secretary, Baldi, a native of Rajasthan, served as Rera chairperson from Jan 2020 to Dec 2024.
Former deputy advocate-general Vinay Sharma had lodged a complaint to the state vigilance and anti-corruption bureau seeking an FIR in the case. He had submitted that, according to information under the RTI Act, 49 apple boxes were purchased using Rera funds for Rs 44,100 from Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation (HPMC) and gifted to various officers by Baldi in 2022 alone.
Later, town and country planning minister Rajesh Dharmani had stated that his department had summoned the record, and a proper inquiry would be conducted. But, to date, there is no official information either from the state vigilance and anti-corruption bureau or from the town and country planning department about the outcome of the investigation.
‘Blatant violation’: BJP demands probe
Former minister and BJP MLA Bikram Thakur on Thursday raised serious concerns over the alleged misuse of govt funds for chief secretary Prabodh Saxena’s Holi party, calling the incident a “blatant violation” of democratic values, ethical standards, and administrative decorum. With Himachal Pradesh reportedly burdened by a debt of Rs 1 lakh crore, Thakur criticized the govt and bureaucracy for being “indifferent to the suffering of the common people.” He called for an impartial investigation and disciplinary action against those responsible. “This is not only a lapse in financial discipline but a violation of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, which require loyalty, honesty, and impartiality from government officials,” he stated.
