Chandigarh: The Punjab government has promoted three Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers of the 2010 batch — Ghanshyam Thori, Kumar Amit and Vimal Kumar Setia — as Secretaries to the Government of Punjab.
According to official orders issued by the Department of Personnel (IAS Branch) with the approval of the Governor of Punjab, the officers have been elevated to the Supertime Scale (Level-14) of the IAS pay matrix. The promotion will be effective from January 1, 2026.
As per the notification, following their promotion to the Supertime Scale, the officers will be designated as Secretaries to the Government of Punjab whenever they are posted at the Punjab Civil Secretariat. The elevation marks a significant step in their administrative careers and places them among the senior-most officers in the state bureaucracy.
The order further clarified that some of the promoted officers have not yet completed Phase-IV of the Mandatory Mid-Career Training Programme. In such cases, while the promotion will remain effective from the notified date, the financial benefits and pay arrears associated with the promotion will be released only after the successful completion of the mandatory training, in accordance with service rules.
Senior IAS officers at the Secretary level play a crucial role in policy formulation, inter-departmental coordination and implementation of major government initiatives. The promotion of these experienced officers is expected to strengthen the administrative functioning of the Punjab government.
The decision has been welcomed in administrative circles, with officials viewing it as a step towards ensuring effective governance and leadership at the senior level.