The Himachal Pradesh government on Monday entrusted senior IAS officer Kamlesh Kumar Pant with the additional charge of chief secretary with immediate effect.Kamlesh Kumar Pant, a 1993-batch officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, is currently the senior-most bureaucrat in the state.Pant, a 1993-batch officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, is currently the senior-most bureaucrat in the state.He succeeds Sanjay Gupta, who had been serving as the acting chief secretary since October last year before being formally appointed as the regular chief secretary just five days prior to his superannuation on May 31.Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu praised Gupta’s tenure, noting that he served the state effectively and steered several critical decisions during his term.According to an official notification issued by the department of personnel, governor Kavinder Gupta ordered the appointment. “Kamlesh Kumar Pant, additional chief secretary (revenue)-cum-financial commissioner (revenue), additional chief secretary (forest, home and vigilance) and chairman, Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board, Shimla, shall hold the additional charge of the post of chief secretary to the Government of Himachal Pradesh, with immediate effect, in addition to his own duties,” the notification stated.Pant will continue to oversee his existing high-profile portfolios alongside his new responsibility as the state’s top bureaucrat.