Manjhi asserts by shunting IAS officers close to Nitish

Patna,(BiharTimes):In a bid to assert himself Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi shunted out some key IAS officials considered close to former CM Nitish Kumar.The state government late on Tuesday transferred 18 senior IAS officers, including principal Home Secretary, Amir Subhani. He has been shifted to the General Administrative Department after serving as the home secretary for about six years.

However, he will continue to hold the additional charge of Department of Minority Welfare and work as the Mission Director of the Bihar Administrative Reforms Mission Society. The chairman of the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) Sudhir Kumar is the new home secretary. He will continue to hold the additional charge of the SSC.

Subhani replaces Dr Dharmendra Singh Gangwar, who goes to the Department of Planning and Development as the principal secretary. Gangwar will continue to hold the additional charge of officer on special duty at Bihar Bhawan in New Delhi.

Amrit Lal Meena, principal secretary with the Department of Agriculture, who also held the additional charge of Agriculture Production Commissioner, has been made the principal secretary to the chief minister.

Principal secretary with the Department of Transport, Vijoy Prakash, has been made the Agriculture Production Commissioner, while Shashi Shekhar Sharma, principal secretary with the Department of Panchayati Raj, has been shifted to Transport Department in the same capacity. Principal secretary, Road Construction Department, Arun Kumar Singh has been shifted to Science and Technology department with additional charge of Parliamentary Affairs Department. Principal secretary, Labour Resources Department, Sanjay Kumar has also been sent to General Administration Department.

Secretary, Rural Works Department, S Siddharth has been sent to Labour Resources Department with additional charge of secretary, Information Technology and Public Grievance as well as CEO, Bihar Kaushal Vikas Mission. Building Construction Department secretary Chanchal Kumar will look after Rural Works department while secretary, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Resources Department, Harjot Kaur, will go to Road Construction Department with additional charge of Project Director, Bihar Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Committee and Managing Director, Bihar State Road Development Corporation.

Bihar State Financial Corporation MD Pradip Kumar became secretary, Panchayati Raj while secretary, Planning and Development Pankaj Kumar is made secretary, Registration, Excise and Prohibition, replacing Sanjay Kumar Singh who has been sent to Sugarcane Industries Department.
Narmadeshwar Lal became secretary, Building Construction Department. He will retain additional charge of Patna divisional commissioner.

Chairman of Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation, Vinay Kumar, has been shifted to Animal Husbandry and Fisheries department with additional charge of Bridge Construction Corporation and rural drinking water supply and sanitation.

North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited MD Balamurugan D has been given additional charge of BREDA while Director, Agriculture, Dharmendra Singh will have additional charge of OSD to CM. Director, BREDA, Dayanidhi Pandey, will be joint secretary in the finance department.

Member, board of revenue, A K Chauhan has been given additional charge of development commissioner during the absence of incumbent S K Negi. Negi is on leave till January 11. The general administration department issued a notification to this effect on Tuesday.

Deepak Kumar has gone on central deputation in the ministry of labour and employment.

Most of these officers who were shifted are considered close to the former chief minister Nitish Kumar.