Situation vacant

The position of state chief secretary is a fairly prestigious one within the bureaucracy but Madhya Pradesh is struggling to fill a gap that will be left when the current incumbent retires in April. Although seven senior officials are eligible, none of them want the post. The reason: no one wants to take charge with general elections about two years away. “There is hardly any time to deliver before the elections so who will put his career at stake?” a senior official explained, adding that only the brave or those with retirement plans are likely to give it a shot. But reportedly, bureaucrats who have evinced interest were denied access to the chief minister’s residence because they did not possess “adequate qualifications”.