Vini Mahajan appointed first female chief secretary of Punjab

Punjab has appointed Vini Mahajan, a 1987-batch IAS officer, as the new chief secretary of Punjab on Friday. Prior to the new appointment, Mahajan, who has become the first woman chief secretary of the state, was serving as the additional chief secretary of investment promotion, industries and commerce, information technology, and governance reforms and public grievances.

She replaces 1984-batch IAS officer Karan Avtar Singh, who recently had a face-off with Punjab ministers. Singh, who is due to retire on August 31, has now been posted as special chief secretary, governance reforms and public grievances.

The new chief secretary is the wife of Punjab DGP, Dinkar Gupta, also a 1987-batch IPS officer. This is for the first time that a couple is leading the administrative and law enforcement in the state.

DGP Gupta was empanelled to hold director general-level post in the Central government by the appointments committee of the Punjab cabinet last month.

Soon after, speculations were rife about Mahajan’s elevation to the senior-most bureaucratic position in the state.