LUCKNOW: In the corridors of power in Uttar Pradesh, they call him ‘Triple S’, and it’s a name to reckon with. High-flying professional-turned-civil servant Shashank Shekhar Singh is Chief Minister Mayawati’s right hand, Man Friday and troubleshooter rolled into one, the man she trusts enough to leave in charge when on tour to expand the party’s base.
Soon after the formation of her government on May 13, 2007, Mayawati appointed Shashank Shekhar Singh as Cabinet Secretary, an appointment not made by any chief minister since 1947. Critics say the BSP leader is trying to behave like a Prime Minister. That may be a little harsh, but there’s no denying that the road to Delhi goes through Lucknow.
Singh was commissioned in the Army in 1966; he then switched to the Air Force in 1973, flying over 46 types of aircraft and logging about 12,000 hours of flight time. A suave, soft-spoken man, Singh then became a pilot for Uttar Pradesh, going on to fly almost all chief ministers from V P Singh to Narain Dutt Tewari to Mulayam Singh Yadav, and now, Mayawati. His career kept pace, and Singh went on to hold important positions in the state’s bureaucratic setup. In 1990, Singh had a chance to break into the national level, when he was appointed chairman-cum-managing director of Indian Airlines, but the state did not relieve him. He thus became the youngest secretary to any state government, and was granted the chief secretary’s pay scale way back in 1988. He stayed in Lucknow and consolidated his position, widening his networks all the time.
For the state’s bureaucracy, comprising over 550 IAS officers, Singh was eminently acceptable; many had already worked under him when he was secretary and principal secretary, and everyone knew he was the chief minister’s choice.
Singh has fit into his role like a glove. He takes briefings from the chief minister in the morning and sets the day’s agenda. Along with the chief secretary, he holds meetings of the District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police, later briefing the chief minister for necessary directions. Working from eight in the morning to 11 at night, holding meetings, addressing delegations, addressing press conferences on sensitive matters, Singh has become the face of the Uttar Pradesh government.
With his penchant for setting, and enforcing, deadlines on officers, he has made enemies too. In the last four years, nearly half-a -dozen Public Interest Litigations (PIL) have been filed to challenge appointments made by Singh. None has damaged him. One high-profile PIL was by Magsaysay Award winner Sandip Pandey before the Supreme Court, challenging his eligibility to be Cabinet Secretary since he is not an IAS officer. Pandey later withdrew the PIL.
Another bugbear is that the state IAS Association has not been able to hold an annual meet for four years; most members blame Singh.
He has his own band of fiercely loyal friends, however. “Sometime back, I was in the US, when my father died suddenly in Lucknow. I was in shock. Singh not only ensured my timely landing in Delhi and Lucknow, but I was surprised to find him at the airport to console me,” says C P Mishra, managing director of the UP Sugar Federation.
Singh steers clear of controversy. He loves playing squash and working out. Hardly seen at social gatherings, Singh went to the extent of asking invitees to his daughter’s recent wedding, that gifts or cash would not be accepted.
Armed with a two-year extension, Singh seems to be in the driving seat as Mayawati’s party heads to next year’s polls.