25 secretaries shifted in major reshuffle, 2 in apex scale now

The state government carried out a major administrative reshuffle of senior IAS officers on Monday by shifting out 25 secretary rank officers and also promoting two officers to the apex pay scale of chief secretary.

Two senior officials posted in the chief minister’s secretariat, S Siddharth and Chanchal Kumar have been also shifted out. Principal secretary, agriculture, Anjani Kumar Singh, a 1981 batch officer, has been appointed as the principal secretary to chief minister, Nitish Kumar.

The outgoing secretary to the chief minister, Chanchal Kumar, has been made, secretary, building construction department with additional charge of secretary, art and culture department. S Siddharth, a 1991 batch officer, has been made secretary, urban development and housing department.

In another major decision, Manoj Kumar Srivastava and C Ashokvardhan, both 1980 batch officers have been elevated to the apex pay scale in the chief secretary rank. While Srivastava has been appointed as departmental enquiry commissioner, Ashokvardhan will remain in his present post which has been upgraded as an apex scale post. Significantly, Patna divisional commissioner, K P Ramaiah has been transferred to the mines and geology as the principal secretary and would be replaced by SK Negi, who is posted as divisional commissioner, Tirhut.

Secretary, expenditure (finance department), Mihir Kumar Singh has been made the new divisional commissioner of Tirhut.

One of the seniormost IAS officers, Anil Kumar of 1976 batch has been appointed as chief advisor of Bihar state planning board while Alok Kumar Sinha of the same batch, has been made agriculture production commissioner. Sinha was principal secretary of industries department. The additional departmental enquiry commissioner Amitabh Verma has been appointed as principal secretary, panchayat raj department.

Afzal Amanullah, who is heading the water resources department with additional charge of principal secretary to the Governor has been vested with another charge of industries department. Additional member Rajesh Gupta of 1982 batch, has been given additional charge of administrator, Bihar state co-operative bank.

Principal secretary of rural development department, A Santosh Mathew of 1985 batch, has been shifted in the same capacity to labour resource department. Mathew will be replaced in the rural development department by Amrit Lal Meena as secretary. He was earlier posted as secretary, labour resource department.

Another 86 batch officer, Atul Prasad who was waiting for posting has been appointed as principal secretary, cooperative department. Sudhir Kumar, a 1987 batch officer, posted as principal secretary building construction department, has been shifted as principal secretary, parliamentary affairs department. Secretary, urban development department Sudhir Kumar, of 1988 batch, has been transferred to the sugarcane development department as secretary. He will be holding additional charge of managing director of Bihar state industrial development corporation. Secretary of minor irrigation department, Deepak Prasad has been given the additional charge of managing director of Bihar state food and civil supplies corporation. Secretary, human rights commission Vandana Kini of the 1989 batch has been made the new divisional commissioner of Darbhanga.

In other transfers, secretary, social welfare department Sandeep Pondrik of 1993 batch has been moved to registration and excise department as it’s new secretary while another officer of the same batch, Uday Singh Kumawat holding the post of administrator, Bihar state road transport corporation has been appointed as secretary, expenditure (finance). He will continue to hold the charge of BSRTC.

The government has also given additional charge of managing director, beverages corporation to 1995 batch officer B Rajendra who is at present posted as secretary, rural development department. Secretary, family welfare (health department) Ashish Kumar has been given the additional charge of secretary, Bihar human rightscommission. Pradeep Kumar, MD, SFC has been appointed as commissioner, MGNREGA under the rural development department.

Director, mid-day meal,(education department), R Laxmanan will hold the additional charges of joint secretary, rural development department and additional chief executive officer of Bihar rural road development agency. Project director, Bihar gram swaraj yojana society, Lokesh Kumar Singh of 2003 batch has been appointed as additional secretary, panchayati raj department.