Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has implemented a significant administrative reorganization, transferring 18 IAS officers and reallocating key responsibilities within departments. This move aims to enhance governance and streamline administrative operations in the state.
One notable change involves K. Senthil Kumar, a 1996-batch IAS officer, who has been reassigned as the Additional Chief Secretary of the Labour Resources and Migrant Workers Welfare Department, previously serving in the Sugarcane Industry Department. He has also been tasked with overseeing the Backward Classes and Extremely Backward Classes Welfare Department, relieving H.R. Srinivasan of this duty.
In a divisional restructuring, Prem Singh Meena, the Commissioner of Munger Division from the 2000 batch, has been given additional responsibilities in the Bhagalpur Division. Meanwhile, Rajesh Kumar, a 2001-batch IAS officer and Divisional Commissioner of the Kosi range, has been transferred to serve as the Principal Secretary of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED).
Further changes include the appointment of Pankaj Kumar Pal, a 2002-batch IAS officer, as Secretary of the Road Construction Department, and Abhay Kumar Singh, from the 2006 batch, as Secretary of the Information Technology Department, also overseeing BELTRON. Dharmendra Singh, a 2006-batch IAS officer, has been assigned the Sugarcane Industry Department and the Cooperation Department.
Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, from the 2007 batch, has been entrusted with the Education, Sports, and Election departments, while Dr. B. Rajendra, a 1995-batch IAS officer, has been relieved of his additional duties in the Education and Sports departments. Avneesh Kumar Singh has been appointed as Secretary-cum-Mines Commissioner in the Mines and Geology Department, with additional roles in state mining corporations.
Himanshu Kumar Rai and Himanshu Sharma, serving in the 2010 and 2011 batches respectively, have received new assignments. Himanshu Kumar Rai will now oversee both Darbhanga and Kosi Divisions, while Himanshu Sharma has been posted as Secretary-in-Charge of the Science, Technology, and Technical Education Department in Patna.
Lokesh Kumar Singh, an IAS officer from the 2003 batch, has been relieved of his additional responsibilities in the Science, Technology, and Technical Education Department, maintaining his roles in the Tourism Department and the Chief Minister’s Secretariat. Anshul Kumar has been assigned additional divisional responsibilities for the Kosi and Purnea divisions.
Younger officers Shrikant Kundlik Khandekar and Gunjan Singh, from the 2020 batch, have been appointed Joint Secretaries in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, while Shubham Kumar, a 2021-batch officer, has been designated as Deputy Development Commissioner-cum-CEO in Patna.
This comprehensive reshuffle underscores the state government’s commitment to placing seasoned officers in pivotal administrative positions, with the aim of expediting decision-making, enhancing inter-departmental coordination, and boosting overall administrative efficiency in Bihar.
