Diprava Lakra is a new Chandigarh finance secretary

Diprava Lakra, a 2005 batch Punjab-cadre IAS officer, has been appointed as the new UT finance secretary.
The appointment committee of the cabinet approved the ministry of home affairs’ (MHA) proposal for Lakra’s appointment on October 14.
Prior to this, Lakra had served as the Punjab finance secretary, Bathinda deputy commissioner and commissioner of the Jalandhar municipal corporation.
The Punjab government had recommended three names for the post, including Basant Garg, Diprava Lakra and Daljit Singh Mangat — all from the 2005 batch.
The finance secretary’s post had fallen vacant on June 18 after Vijay Namdeorao Zade’s tenure ended and he was relieved. Zade, a 2002 batch Punjab-cadre IAS officer, had joined the UT administration in May 2021 for a three-year tenure. His tenure was extended by one month in May 2024 due to the Lok Sabha elections, as he was also the chief electoral officer of Chandigarh.