Patna: Senior bureaucrat Deepak Kumar has reportedly been moved out of the Bihar Chief Minister’s Office after more than five years as the Chief Minister’s principal secretary, and appointed vice-chairman of the Bihar State Disaster Management Authority (BSDMA).
Kumar, a retired 1984-batch Bihar-cadre IAS officer, has held the principal secretary post since March 21, 2021, a day after retiring as Bihar’s chief secretary.
However, the latest change could not be independently confirmed from the official Bihar CMO officer list available online, which continues to show Deepak Kumar as principal secretary.
New Role In Disaster Management Authority
The reported appointment places Kumar in a senior role in the Bihar State Disaster Management Authority, which is responsible for disaster-management policies, planning, capacity building and public awareness related to disaster risk reduction.
The Bihar government’s official BSDMA website states that the Chief Minister is the ex-officio chairperson, while the chief secretary serves as the ex-officio member-cum-chief executive officer.
The vice-chairman position became vacant after Uday Kant Mishra left the post on September 11, according to the source report.
More Than Five Years In The CMO
Deepak Kumar was appointed principal secretary to the chief minister in March 2021, following a long administrative career in Bihar and at the Centre.
Before that, he served as Bihar’s chief secretary from 2018 to 2021 and had earlier held the position of development commissioner.
His career has included assignments as district magistrate in several districts and senior positions in departments including Health, Urban Development, General Administration, Cabinet and Information and Public Relations.
He also served as chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) during 2017-18 and later held the post of director general of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation.
Changes In The Chief Minister’s Office
The reported move comes amid changes involving several senior officials associated with the Chief Minister’s Office.
Lokesh Kumar Singh and Sanjay Kumar Singh have been among the senior officers holding responsibilities in the CMO, while other officials have also received new assignments in recent administrative changes.
Kumar Ravi, a 2005-batch IAS officer, has also moved to the Health Department after serving in the CMO.
Chandrashekhar Singh, a 2010-batch IAS officer and former Patna district magistrate, is serving as secretary of the Water Resources Department, according to the latest official administrative listings.
Disaster Management Role Comes Amid Flood Concerns
The reported appointment also comes at a time when Bihar is dealing with a major flood situation, with several districts affected by rising river levels and embankment-related concerns.
The state disaster management authority works on disaster preparedness, risk reduction and capacity building, covering hazards including floods, droughts, cyclones, heat waves, road accidents and other emergencies.
If the reported appointment is formally notified, Kumar’s new role will place his long administrative experience in the state’s disaster-management framework.
