Rakesh Sharma is new Uttarakhand chief secretary

DEHRADUN: Rakesh Sharma, senior-most IAS officer of the 1980 batch, took charge as Uttarakhand’s 12th chief secretary during a function held at the secretariat on Friday.Sharma took charge from outgoing chief secretary N Ravishankar, who retired after completing 35 years of service with the Centre and state government on Friday.An expert in the state civil aviation department, Sharma has helped in setting up 60 helipads in different hill districts for better rescue and relief operations.Talking to media persons after taking over charge, the new chief secretary said, “I want to formulate comprehensive policies for different regions to boost development in the state. Having worked in the state for about 24 years, I want to ensure that the benefits of these people-oriented policies trickle down to those living at the grass root level.”