SHIMLA, March 17: The Himachal Pradesh government has withdrawn cabinet-rank status from a range of political appointees, board chairpersons and advisers with an official notification issued from Shimla on March 17. The move rescinds minister-level perks — official vehicles, staff and related protocol — previously extended to a number of non-ministerial office-holders.
Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s administration has directed all departments to implement the order immediately, saying the review was intended to rationalise administrative expenditure and restore strict institutional norms for ministerial privileges. The notification, circulated by the Chief Secretary’s office, also instructs departments to defer 20% of monthly emoluments of affected appointees until September 30, 2026, as part of a phased financial adjustment.
Who held cabinet rank — names, roles and background
Reporting and government records show that the following non-ministerial figures were among those who had been accorded cabinet rank in the Sukhu administration (roles listed as publicly reported):
• Sunil Sharma — Political Adviser to the Chief Minister. Sunil Sharma has been a senior Congress organiser and was appointed to the CM’s advisory team; his appointment with cabinet rank has been noted in official lists and press reports.
• Naresh Chauhan — Principal Media Adviser to the Chief Minister; designated with cabinet rank when appointed in December 2022.
• Gokul Butail — Principal Adviser (IT, Innovation & Digital Governance) to the Chief Minister; given cabinet-minister rank at the time of his appointment. Butail has previously served as an IT adviser in earlier governments and holds a party office.
• Nand Lal — Named in reporting as chairman related to the Seventh Pay Commission (listed among those accorded cabinet rank in earlier administrative orders).
• Kehar Singh Khachi — Vice-Chairman, Himachal Pradesh Forest Development Corporation — granted cabinet rank in coverage from June 2024.
• Bhawani Singh Pathania — Vice-Chairman, State Planning Board (MLA) — reported earlier as being given cabinet rank.
• R.S. Bali — Reported as Chairman, Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC), earlier listed among cabinet-ranked appointees.
• Additional chairmen and deputy chairmen of various state boards, finance/commission bodies and certain corporation heads (for example, chairmen of the State Finance Commission and public corporations) had also earlier received cabinet-level status, according to local reporting and government disclosures.
(Notes on names: some local appointments — chairmen of cooperatives, federation bodies and boards — appear in state press releases and local news for 2024–2025; where available I used government press notices and mainstream press reports to confirm roles.)
Why these names matter — administrative and political context
Officials told reporters the review of cabinet rank status aimed to “streamline administrative control” and prevent an expanded parallel of ministerial privileges for unelected or non-cabinet appointees. Government sources framed the step as fiscal discipline amid constrained state finances; local coverage also notes political optics — cabinet rank has frequently been used to accommodate party functionaries and supporters.
Political parties reacted quickly: the opposition criticised the practice of awarding cabinet status as politicised patronage, while the government defended the withdrawal as necessary housekeeping. Analysts say the short-term impacts include loss of protocol and allowances for listed appointees; medium-term effects could include restructuring of boards and reclassification of positions.
Implementation and next steps
The Chief Secretary’s letter to administrative secretaries instructs immediate compliance; departments must remove cabinet matters from the privileges list and adjust payroll and vehicle allocations. A reconciled list of affected persons is expected to circulate internally — the government has not yet published a comprehensive public list of every individual affected beyond those named in prior announcements. Media outlets and official releases will be the primary sources for any updated roster.
