The visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Chhattisgarh has been rescheduled. Initially slated for June 16th, the visit was postponed. Now, the revised schedule indicates his arrival in Raipur on the evening of June 22nd. He will be staying at the BJP headquarters. The visit is expected to focus on addressing the Naxal issue with a high-level meeting involving top officials from central security forces like CRPF, BSF, and ITBP. Furthermore, a visit to the residence of the martyred Additional SP Akash Rao Giripunje, who lost his life in the Sukma Naxal attack, is also a possibility. The exact timings and program details remain pending.
Beyond security matters, the visit coincides with critical administrative decisions. The expansion of the Vishnu Deo Sai cabinet has been awaited for some time. The appointment of the next Chief Secretary, following the retirement of Amitabh Jain this month, is a key agenda item. Moreover, the selection of a full-time DGP is pending despite the UPSC panel’s recommendations. The panel includes the current in-charge DGP and Himanshu Gupta. It is speculated that these appointments, along with other significant decisions, might be finalized during Amit Shah’s visit on June 22nd. Given the upcoming retirement of Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain, the new appointment needs to be made before the end of June. It is observed that the Central government has played a vital role in the appointment of Chief Secretaries in several states. Thus, the Centre’s involvement in the appointments of Chhattisgarh’s Chief Secretary and DGP is expected. While this may vary, it is confirmed that the state government will seek input from the Home Minister before these crucial appointments.
Meetings with party officials, including MLAs and prominent leaders, are also likely during the visit.