Who Is Rinzing Chewang Bhutia? Retired IAS Officer Appointed Principal Secretary to Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang
Retired Sikkim-cadre IAS officer Rinzing Chewang Bhutia assumed charge as Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on October 1, 2026. Know about his administrative career, previous postings and experience in key state government departments.
Gangtok, October 12, 2026: Retired IAS officer Rinzing Chewang Bhutia has taken up a new administrative responsibility in Sikkim, joining the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) as Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang. He assumed charge on October 1, 2026, according to official government communications. His appointment brings an experienced former civil servant back into the state’s senior administrative structure following his retirement from active service.
Before retiring, Bhutia served as Secretary-cum-Relief Commissioner in the Land Revenue and Disaster Management Department of the Sikkim government. Over the course of his career, he also held responsibilities in the Department of Personnel, Food and Civil Supplies Department, and Agriculture Department. His experience across these portfolios covered several important areas of state administration, including personnel management, disaster relief, food security and agricultural development.
His new position places him in the Chief Minister’s Office in Gangtok, where he will serve in a senior administrative role directly associated with the state’s top executive office. The appointment also draws on his familiarity with the functioning of the Sikkim government and its various departments.
Who Is Rinzing Chewang Bhutia?
Rinzing Chewang Bhutia is a retired Indian Administrative Service officer belonging to the Sikkim cadre. He was originally part of the Sikkim State Civil Service and was subsequently inducted into the IAS through promotion. His service profile identifies him as a 2013-batch IAS officer of the Sikkim cadre.
Born on September 17, 1966, Bhutia hails from Sikkim and holds a Master of Science degree in Zoology. His civil service profile lists his IAS identity number as 01SK822T01.
His professional journey reflects a progression from the state civil service to the IAS, followed by assignments in several important departments of the state government. These roles gave him experience in administrative coordination, personnel-related matters, essential commodity distribution, agricultural administration and disaster management.
Bhutia’s latest appointment marks a new phase in his public service career. After retiring from active IAS service, he has assumed the responsibility of Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, bringing his previous administrative experience to the CMO.
Served as Secretary in Sikkim’s Department of Personnel
One of Bhutia’s significant administrative assignments was in the Department of Personnel, where he was appointed Secretary on September 18, 2023. The department has an important role in managing personnel-related matters across the state government and supporting the administrative framework through which government departments function.
Its responsibilities include matters concerning government officers and employees, personnel administration and coordination within the state’s bureaucratic structure. As Secretary, Bhutia was associated with this important area of government functioning, which requires familiarity with administrative procedures and coordination among different offices.
His experience in the department formed a significant part of his senior administrative career in Sikkim. Working in personnel administration also provided him with an understanding of the state’s civil service structure and the processes involved in managing government personnel.
This background is relevant to his subsequent appointment in the Chief Minister’s Office, where coordination across departments and an understanding of government administration are important aspects of the role.
Handled Land Revenue and Disaster Management Responsibilities
Bhutia was assigned additional charge as Secretary-cum-Relief Commissioner in the Land Revenue and Disaster Management Department on October 30, 2025. The department deals with important responsibilities relating to land administration, disaster preparedness, relief operations and rehabilitation of people affected by natural calamities.
As Secretary-cum-Relief Commissioner, Bhutia was associated with administrative coordination concerning disaster-related public services and relief measures. His responsibilities included work connected with rehabilitation efforts in areas affected by natural disasters, including flash-flood-related relief and rehabilitation activities in places such as Rimbi Village.
Disaster management is particularly important in Sikkim because of the state’s Himalayan geography and exposure to natural hazards. Flash floods and landslides can affect settlements, infrastructure, transport links and the daily lives of local communities. Responding to such events requires coordination among government departments, district administrations and field-level agencies.
Relief and rehabilitation work also involves administrative follow-up to address the needs of affected communities. Government agencies may need to coordinate assistance, assess local requirements and support recovery efforts after a disaster.
Bhutia’s assignment in the Land Revenue and Disaster Management Department formed part of his experience in this critical area of public administration. The posting was among his major departmental responsibilities before his retirement from active civil service.
Experience in Food and Civil Supplies Department
Bhutia also held responsibilities in the Food and Civil Supplies Department during his administrative career. This portfolio deals with matters concerning essential commodities, food distribution and the Public Distribution System (PDS), which plays an important role in making food grains and other notified supplies available to eligible households.
The department’s work is especially significant in geographically challenging areas, where access to essential commodities can require careful administrative planning and coordination. Effective distribution mechanisms help ensure that supplies reach intended beneficiaries and that government food security measures function as planned.
Bhutia’s experience in this sector added another dimension to his administrative background. Alongside personnel administration and disaster management, work related to food and civil supplies exposed him to a public service area that directly affects households and communities. His responsibilities across different departments demonstrate the range of administrative functions he handled during his service in the Sikkim government.
Worked in the Agriculture Department
Agriculture was another area in which Bhutia held administrative responsibilities. The Agriculture Department is concerned with agricultural development and the implementation of government programmes intended to support the sector.
Agriculture remains an important part of the economy and livelihoods of many communities. Government initiatives in this area can involve programme implementation, departmental coordination and administrative support for farmers and agricultural activities.
Bhutia’s experience in the department broadened his exposure to development-related administration beyond personnel management and essential public services. Together with his work in food distribution and disaster management, the assignment gave him experience across several sectors with a direct bearing on people’s lives.
His administrative career therefore included both government management responsibilities and departmental work linked to welfare, livelihoods and public service delivery.
From Sikkim State Civil Service to the IAS
Bhutia’s career followed a route taken by some civil servants who begin their professional journey in a state civil service before being inducted into the Indian Administrative Service through promotion. He entered government service through the Sikkim State Civil Service and later joined the IAS.
His service profile identifies his IAS batch as 2013 and his cadre as Sikkim. Over the years, he held responsibilities in multiple departments, gaining experience in personnel administration, land revenue, disaster management, food and civil supplies, and agriculture.
Such varied assignments can give an officer exposure to different aspects of government functioning. Personnel administration involves the management of the state’s administrative machinery, while disaster management requires coordination during emergencies.
Food and civil supplies and agriculture, meanwhile, involve public service delivery and development-related responsibilities. Bhutia’s movement from the state civil service to senior departmental positions reflects the progression outlined in his service background.
Rinzing Chewang Bhutia’s Post-Retirement Appointment in the Sikkim CMO
Rinzing Chewang Bhutia assumed charge as Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on October 1, 2026, following his retirement from active IAS service. His appointment places him in a senior position within the Chief Minister’s Office in Gangtok.
The role brings his previous experience in the Sikkim government into the CMO, where coordination with departments and familiarity with administrative processes are important. His background includes assignments in personnel administration and disaster management, as well as experience in food and civil supplies and agriculture.
Bhutia’s appointment marks his return to a senior administrative role after retirement from active service. With his new responsibility, he will serve in the Chief Minister’s Office, drawing on the experience gained during his years in the state government.
