Patna: In a move that has been signaled for weeks, the Bihar government has officially appointed Pratyaya Amrit as the state’s new Chief Secretary. A notification regarding the appointment was issued 27 days ago, with Amrit, currently the Development Commissioner, being given the additional charge of Special Officer in the Chief Secretary’s office for a one-month period. This early announcement is said to be a first for the state.
Amrit is known for his dynamic and results-oriented approach. Throughout his career, he has been credited with several key initiatives that have had a significant impact on Bihar’s infrastructure and public services.
- Public Administration Excellence: Amrit is the only Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer in the country to have been selected for the Prime Minister’s Excellence Award in Public Administration in the individual category in 2011.
- Infrastructure Revival: After returning to Bihar from a central deputation at the request of then-Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Amrit was appointed director of the Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation. He is widely credited with the timely repair of the state’s roads and bridges, which earned him a reputation as one of Nitish Kumar’s most trusted officials.
- Power Sector Transformation: He was also given the responsibility of the Power Corporation, where he played a crucial role in bringing electricity to every household in Bihar.
- Early Career Achievements: As District Magistrate (DM) of Katihar, he implemented a public-private partnership (PPP) model for the district hospital. In Chapra, he gained attention for his ban on obscenity at the Sonpur cattle fair and for making CCTV cameras mandatory in cinemas.
A graduate of Hindu College, Delhi University, Pratyaya Amrit comes from a family of academics and public servants. His father, Rupsudan Srivastava, was a philosophy professor, and his mother, Kavita Srivastava, was a professor at B.N. Mandal University. His sister, Pragya Richa, is an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and is currently an ADG in Madhya Pradesh, while his wife is a professor at A.N. College, Patna.
