UP gets a new Chief Secretary

Rajiv Kumar-I, an IAS officer of the 1981 batch, was on Thursday (29 June) appointed the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh. Kumar replaces Rahul Bhatnagar, who was made Chief Secretary on September 13, 2016 by the former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. In all, 44 IAS besides six Provincial Civil Services (PCS) officers were shifted, and these included several officers who had been kept in waiting for several weeks.

Rajiv Kumar was Secretary in the Union ministry of Shipping, and had been relieved prematurely from his deputation to the Centre following a request from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. On June 21 the Cabinet Committee on Appointments (CCA) had issued an order saying that "the appointments committee of the cabinet has approved premature repatriation of Rajiv Kumar (Secretary, Ministry of Shipping) to his parent cadre."

Rajiv Kumar has replaced Rahul Bhatnagar, who was shifted as Chairman, Greater Noida, Gautam Buddha Nagar and will also charge of Investment Commissioner, New Delhi. Kumar will also hold the charge of Chief Residential Commissioner, UP, based in New Delhi. He has earlier served in the state as Commissioner Rural Development, besides divisional commissioner of Saharanpur, Meerut.

Two officers considered very close to the previous regime Navnet Sehgal and Anita Singh were also given new charge. While Sehgal was made Principal Secretary Khadi and Village Industries, Anita Singh was made Principal Secretary Integrated Rural Development.

Another officer Satyendra Singh was made Special Secretary in National Integration Department. In the Akhilesh Yadav government, Sehgal was an all-powerful officer holding multiple charges of Information, Tourism, Expressway Authority and Religious Affairs while Anita Singh was Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. Satyendra Singh was Vice Chairman of Lucknow Development Authority and responsible for several projects such as Gomti Riverfront Development and JP International Centre which are now being probed for gross financial irregularities. Incidentally, these projects have seen the tenure of Rahul Bhatnagar and also the two previous officers having held the post of Chief Secretary - Deepak Singhal and Alok Ranjan.

There had been speculation for the last couple of months that Bhatnagar was to be shifted from the top post and Kumar may be given the charge, but there had been a delay in getting the CCA clearance. After taking over as Chief Minister, Yogi had sought the return of seven senior officers, who were on deputation to the Centre. The officers are Sanjay Bhoosreddy (1989 batch) now made Principal Secretary (Sugar), 1988 batch IAS Alok Kumar (1988 batch) now posted as Principal Secretary in Energy department, Prashant Trivedi, (1988 batch) posted as Principal Secretary for Medical, Health and Family welfare, Shashi Prakash Goel (1989 batch) made Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Anurag Srivastava (1992 batch), who is still waiting a post. A little before the repatriation of these seven officer, Awanish Awasthi (1987 batch) had been called to Lucknow and made Principal Secretary for Information, Tourism and Religious affairs as well as Chief Executive Officer of Uttar Pradesh Expressway and Industrial Development Authority.

OneIndia News