Chandigarh: Anurag Verma, a 1993-batch IAS officer, took charge as the Chief Secretary of Punjab in the presence of outgoing Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua of the 1989 batch, who retired on June 30, and several senior civil officers of the state, on Saturday. He is the 42nd chief secretary of the state.
Speaking on the occasion, Verma said that his priority would be to ensure a clean, efficient, and responsive administration, as well as to give a thrust to the health and education sectors, along with promoting all-round development of the state.
Charges held by him earlier
Previously, Verma held the charge of additional chief secretary (ACS) for Home, Industries and Commerce, Legal and Legislative Affairs, Information Technology, and Investment Promotion.
During his tenure as the special secretary with the revenue departments, he was known for his initiatives to computerize revenue land records and establish "fard kendras."
Born into a family of academicians from Patiala, Verma will also serve as the principal secretary for Personnel and Vigilance in addition to his current role as chief secretary.
Verma hails from the village of Chalela in Patiala district, and he was a gold medalist in the electronics and communication engineering stream from Thapar College, Patiala. He secured the overall 7th rank in the UPSC civil services examination in 1993.