AK GUPTA: Energy Department’s ‘energetic power-centre’!

Jaipur: Last week Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot held a review of the Energy Department and in the meeting, he praised and gave immense importance to his technocrat advisor of the Energy Department AK Gupta. Gehlot’s actions proved that he is one of the trusted officer’s of the CM. Although in the meeting, the presentation was given by Principal Secretary Bhaskar A Sawant, but the main role in the meeting was executed by AK Gupta. Even CM also kept him at ‘centrepoint’ and held all discussions with him.

Notably, retired RSEB Engineer, who has served as Discom MD, was appointed by the Gehlot government as Advisor of the Energy Department and Director of all seven power companies. However, till April 2022, when the reins of Energy Department were in the hands of ACS Subodh Agarwal, he was ‘all in one’ in the Vidyut Bhawan and even CM used to give preference to Agarwal and Gupta had a limited role in Energy Department before CM.

But as Subodh Agarwal was removed from Vidhyut Bhawan through the transfer list of April 13 and Bhaskar Sawant and T Ravikant were given responsibilities, the move also ensured that AK Gupta comes out of his ‘confinement’ and became a new ‘power centre’. Till the transfer list made changes, Gupta had just one room, but ten days ago, he was given a huge retinue.

When in 2020, Gupta was MD of Jaipur Discom, at that time, a junior engineer in his personal cell used to be his ‘close aide’. But when CMO learnt about his ‘activities’, he was immediately removed on CMO’s orders. But now AK Gupta has brought back his ‘aide’ and he will now be accorded a government bungalow as well. Gupta has issued a written order to all seven companies that any internal order within the company should be forwarded to his office as well and he should also be advised, well in advance, about meetings.

Word is that the two IAS - Bhaskar A Sawant and T Ravikant - are novices, if compared to the knowledge and experience of AK Gupta. Moreover, the three MDs of Discoms are too junior to Gupta and therefore he is a ‘heavyweight’ when it comes to working of the Vidyut Bhawan. Therefore, in meetings held at the level of CM, Ministers and CS, Gupta is the centre-point and in meeting held last Saturday, CM stamped Gupta’s supremacy.

Interestingly, when Gehlot came to the CMO after forming government in December 2018, Gupta was immediately made MD of Jaipur Discom, but owing to various complaints by the MLAs’, in January 2021, he was transferred and Naveen Arora was positioned in his place. But the winds of change blew quickly and in February 2022, Gupta was re-called with much fanfare and appointed as the Advisor and Director of 7 companies, thereby effectively became the ‘all-in one’ in place of Subodh Agarwal. He is always present in the meetings of companies as their Director and plays an important role in their functioning and their future.