New Delhi: The Centre has extended the tenure of Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, a 1987 batch IAS officer, by another three months, officials announced on Tuesday.
Naresh Kumar, who has had ongoing disputes with the AAP government in Delhi, previously received his first extension in November 2023 following a Supreme Court ruling.
An order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday stated, "Approval of the Competent Authority is hereby conveyed for the extension of service of Naresh Kumar, IAS (AGMUT 1987), Chief Secretary, GNCTD, for a further period of three months beyond 31.05.2024, i.e. from 01.06.2024 to 31.08.2024 in relaxation of Rule 16(1) of AIS (DCRB) Rules, 1958 by invoking Rule 3 of AIS(CS-RM) Rules, 1960."
Kumar, originally set to retire on November 30, 2023, had his service extended by six months, which was set to expire on May 31, 2024. The latest extension pushes his tenure to the end of August 2024.
The AAP government filed a plea last year in the Supreme Court opposing any move by the Centre to appoint a new chief secretary or extend Kumar's tenure without consulting the state government.
However, the Supreme Court upheld the Centre’s decision to extend Kumar’s tenure by six months, ruling that the decision did not violate any law or the constitutional distribution of powers between the Union and the Delhi government.