Chandigarh, June 26 (Inditop.com) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal Friday cleared the appointment of the state’s Principal Secretary (Finance) Subodh C. Agrawal as the new chief secretary of the state.

Agarwal, a 1975-batch IAS officer, will replace Ramesh Inder Singh, who is seeking premature retirement to be the state’s chief information commissioner.

Singh, who was to retire in September, will be sworn in as chief information commissioner for a five-year term Monday. Agarwal will take his place as chief secretary the same day.

Decks have also been cleared for the state to have a new police chief.

Jammu and Kashmir cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer P.S. Gill will be the new director general of police, succeeding the outgoing DGP, K.K. Attri. Gill will be on inter-state deputation.

Gill, a 1974-batch IPS officer, will supersede his elder brother and 1973-batch IPS officer R.S. Gill to head Punjab’s police force.

R.S. Gill had been Punjab’s DGP for a brief period in early 2007 when the Election Commission ordered the removal of then DGP S.S. Virk from the post in view of assembly polls in Punjab in February 2007.

R.S. Gill is currently the DGP of the police training academy at Phillaur near Ludhiana, 110 km from here.