IAS officer who once sat on costliest chair set to occupy state’s hot seat, appointed youngest CMD of powercom
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ October 31,2025
As per available information, the state’s ‘Power’ful minister Sanjeev Arora has ordered the unceremonious removal of senior Punjab cadre IAS officer Ajoy Kumar Sinha from the post of principal secretary power department, chairman Punjab state power corporation limited (PSPCL) and Punjab state transmission corporation limited (PSTCL) for not adhering to his orders and posted Basant Garg, IAS of 2005 batch as the new administrative secretary power department, chairman PSPCL-PSTCL.
Basant Garg, IAS has become the youngest CMD to take the charge of Punjab’s power sector. Also a principal secretary ranked officer is appointed as CMD and he is administrative secretary.
Basant Garg, IAS, is taking charge of Punjab’s lifeline — the power sector — at a time when its employees and engineers are working hard to protect the assets and properties of this autonomous body, even as the government plans to sell its valuable resources.
With medical background, Basant Garg, IAS is now going to head the department of technocrats. He remained on key posts from SDM, deputy commissioner to secretary finance. He remained on deputation with UT administration and held key posts there also.
He remained in news headlines all for some bad reasons while posted as SDM, DC. During his posting as Ropar SDM in 2009, Garg was accused of abusing and beating a class four employee of deputy commissioner office. Later he remained in news when he was posted as deputy commissioner Bathinda. During his posting as deputy commissioner, it was alleged that Garg had bought a chair, probably one among the most expensive in the country at that time, worth Rs 50,538. It was highlighted in media at that time CM Parkash Singh Badal’s chair costs Rs 30,000 and DC is sitting on Rs 50,000 chair.
Garg is appointed CMD, PSPCL-PSTCL amid ongoing tussle between the power minister Sanjeev Arora and the powercom management. On the condition of anonymity, officials said “Arora was reportedly interfering in the day to day working of this autonomous (PSPCL-PSTCL) body and annoyed with senior IAS officer Sinha for ‘not cooperating on certain administrative decisions, including the transfer of engineers, insisting to know the key proposals, tenders of beforehand, should come to him first, seeking more postings at prime positions in the PSPCL which seems these reasons led to his removal from the post”.
Sinha was appointed as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd. (PSPCL) following the retirement of Baldev Singh Sran in February 2025. He is going to retire in January 2026. He has not been given any posting and has been directed to report to the department of personnel.
Son of a bank manager, college lecturer Garg did his schooling from St Joseph’s, Ferozepur and studied pre-medical in DAV College Sector 10, Chandigarh. In December 2004, he completed his MBBS from Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) Sector 32 and cracked civil services in 2005.
