Senior IAS Officer Barun Kumar Sahu on 'Compulsory Waiting' Since October 2023, Administrative Delay Sparks Questions as Concerns Grow Over His Health

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, August 2, 2026

Senior IAS officer Barun Kumar Sahu (1992 batch) has remained on compulsory waiting since October 2023, making it one of the longest known instances in Tripura of an Indian Administrative Service officer continuing in government service without any official posting. As the prolonged administrative uncertainty continues, concerns are also being expressed within sections of the bureaucracy over his deteriorating mental health and the humanitarian dimensions of the case.

According to highly placed sources in the State Secretariat, Sahu continues to remain on the compulsory waiting list of the General Administration (Personnel & Training) Department. Official government notifications issued during this period have consistently described him as being on compulsory waiting, while also sanctioning his earned leave and Leave Travel Concession (LTC), indicating that he continues to remain in service and receive salary and admissible service benefits under the applicable rules despite having no departmental responsibilities.

Secretariat sources said Sahu was removed from the post of Secretary of the Tripura Human Rights Commission (THRC) after the Commission reportedly adopted a unanimous resolution on September 22, 2023. Subsequently, the General Administration (P&T) Department placed him on compulsory waiting from October 2023, and that status has continued ever since.

According to Secretariat sources, two separate departmental inquiries reportedly found Sahu guilty of misconduct. Following completion of the inquiry process, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is understood to have advised the Tripura Government regarding the appropriate disciplinary action under the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules. However, despite the reported completion of the inquiries and the UPSC's advice, no final order has yet been issued by the state government.

Administrative sources pointed out that Sahu, a 1992-batch IAS officer, is senior in service to the present Chief Secretary of Tripura, JK Sinha, a 1996-batch officer, making the prolonged continuation of his compulsory waiting status an unusual development in the state's administrative history.

Under established service rules, compulsory waiting is generally intended as a temporary arrangement when an officer is relieved from one assignment but has not yet been given another posting. During this period, the officer is treated as being on duty and continues to receive salary and admissible allowances while awaiting further orders. Normally, an officer on compulsory waiting is required to report before an authority notified by the government, usually within the General Administration Department.

However, Secretariat sources claimed that in Sahu's case, no public notification designated any authority before whom he was required to report during the waiting period. They further stated that despite remaining without any official assignment for nearly three years, he has continued to receive salary and service benefits in accordance with the applicable rules.

Beyond the administrative issues, the prolonged uncertainty is now said to have taken a severe personal toll. According to sources familiar with the matter, Sahu has been suffering from serious mental health problems, while the physical condition of his wife has also reportedly been deteriorating. The couple are presently staying at the State Circuit House and are said to have largely withdrawn from public life, rarely meeting visitors or interacting with colleagues.

Some officials further claimed that the recent death of Director General of Police Anurag Dhankar has had a profound emotional impact on the couple, aggravating their already fragile condition.

The situation has generated concern among a section of serving and retired IAS officers. According to administrative sources, many believe that if there are proven allegations against Sahu, the disciplinary process should be concluded and an appropriate punishment imposed in accordance with law. However, they argue that keeping a senior officer on indefinite compulsory waiting without a final decision serves neither the interests of justice nor administrative efficiency.

Some officers have gone further, alleging that the prolonged confinement without official work, vehicles and the continuing uncertainty amount to subjecting the officer to prolonged psychological suffering.

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