Jai Singh assumes charge of Bihar's Revenue and Land Reforms department in reshuffle

The General Administrative Department (GAD) has appointed a 2010-batch IAS officer—currently one of the secretaries to the Chief Minister and holding charge of the Disaster Management department—as the new secretary of the IPRD.

Separately, the government has relieved two senior IAS officers for central deputation with effect from May 1: Anupam Kumar, secretary of the Information and Public Relations department and a former secretary to ex-chief minister Nitish Kumar, has been posted as joint secretary in the Central ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MoNRE), New Delhi. Bandana Preyashi (2003 batch), secretary of the Social Welfare department, has been deputed as joint secretary in the Department of Chemicals and Fertilisers, New Delhi. Both officers are expected to take up their new assignments in the first week of May.

The notification also ordered the transfer of 2013-batch IAS officer Shailendra Kumar, who was Special Secretary in the Agriculture department, as the new District Magistrate and Collector of Lakhisarai.

In related orders, the General Administrative Department transferred 2007-batch IAS officer Gopal Meena, who was secretary in the Revenue and Land Reforms department, and posted him as secretary to the Governor at Raj Bhavan, until further orders. Robert L. Chongthu (1997 batch), who was posted as principal secretary to the Governor, has been moved to the Minority Welfare department in the same capacity. Mohd Sohail (2007 batch), who was secretary in the Minority Welfare department, has been transferred and posted as secretary in the GAD. Both Gopal Meena and Mohd Sohail will continue to hold their additional charges in the GAD as before.

Jai Singh, a 2007 batch IAS officer, has been given full-fledged charge of the Revenue and Land Reforms department in Bihar, replacing its principal secretary CK Anil (1991 batch). Anil has been shifted to the Planning Board as its advisor. Singh, who was one of two secretaries in the department under Anil, has been asked to take over as the new administrative head with immediate effect. The move comes amid reports that the chief minister was unhappy with Anil’s handling, which led to a prolonged strike by circle officers, revenue officers and field staff, bringing department functioning to a standstill for more than a month.