Bihar Government Undertakes Major Administrative Reshuffle, Assigns New Roles to Key IAS Officers
Patna: In a significant administrative reshuffle, the Bihar government has reassigned responsibilities to nearly one and a half dozen IAS officers. Notable among the new appointments are the changes in the leadership of several key departments and regional divisions.
Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, who has been serving as the Additional Chief Secretary of the Art, Culture, and Youth Department, has been appointed as the Additional Chief Secretary of the Social Welfare Department. In addition to this crucial role, she will also take on the responsibilities of Managing Director of the Bihar State Women and Child Development Corporation.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, previously holding additional charge as Secretary of the Transport Department, will now be relieved of these duties as part of the reshuffle. His prior role will be taken over by Dr. Ashima Jain, Secretary of the Urban Development and Housing Department, who will now also serve as the Secretary of the Transport Department.
Bandana Preyashi has been relieved from the duty of Managing Director of Bihar Women and Child Development Corporation (WCDC). Among other significant changes, Prem Singh Meena, formerly Secretary of the Social Welfare Department, has been appointed as the Commissioner of the Magadh Division, where he will also hold the additional charge of Additional Director General of Police at the Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD) in Gaya.
The reshuffle also sees Sarvanan M., previously Commissioner of the Saran Division in Chhapra, being reassigned as Commissioner of the Tirhut Division in Muzaffarpur, while Gopal Meena, formerly in Tirhut, will take over Sarvanan’s role in Saran.
Santosh Kumar Mall, who previously held the position of Principal Secretary of the Cooperative Department, has now been appointed as the Principal Secretary of the Water Resources Department. He will retain his additional responsibilities as Investigation Commissioner of the General Administration Department and Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at Bihar Bhawan, the Resident Commissioner’s Office in New Delhi.
Dr. Pratima Verma, formerly the Secretary of the Commercial Tax Department, has been reassigned to the role of Secretary of the Science, Technology, and Technical Education Department. Alongside this new role, she will continue to serve as the Mission Director of the Bihar Administrative Reforms Mission Society.
Pankaj Kumar Pal, who has been relieved of his duties as Secretary of the Rural Development Department, is now appointed as the Secretary of the Energy Department. In his new capacity, he will also assume the role of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Bihar State Power Holding Company, where he will oversee the state’s power distribution and management.
