Patna: The Bihar government has made public the annual asset declarations of IAS and IPS officers serving in the state, offering a rare and detailed insight into the financial status of senior bureaucrats, their families, and ancestral properties. The disclosures, reflecting holdings as of December 31, 2025, were uploaded as part of mandatory transparency norms aimed at strengthening accountability in public administration.
The declaration includes not only the officers’ personal movable and immovable assets but also assets held in the names of spouses, children, and ancestral family members. It also sheds light on savings habits, investments, gold holdings, provident funds, insurance, mutual funds, and debt liabilities of Bihar’s top administrative officers.
A striking trend visible across most declarations is the dominance of Public Provident Fund (PPF) accounts, family-held mutual funds, and substantial gold holdings—often listed as gifts received during marriage or family occasions.
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Robert L. Chongthu Tops List as Bihar’s Richest Bureaucrat
Among all senior officers, Robert L. Chongthu, Principal Secretary to the Governor, emerged as the wealthiest bureaucrat in Bihar with total declared assets worth ₹11.02 crore.
His declaration includes:
- ₹5.25 crore movable assets
- ₹5.77 crore immovable assets
This places him at the top of Bihar’s bureaucratic wealth chart.
Closely behind him is Pankaj Kumar Pal, Secretary, Road Construction Department, with declared assets worth ₹10.43 crore, including:
- ₹6.28 crore movable assets
- ₹4.15 crore immovable property
CM Nitish Kumar’s OSD Gopal Singh Richer Than Chief Minister’s Secretaries
One of the most discussed disclosures is that of Gopal Singh, Officer on Special Duty to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who declared total assets worth ₹5.89 crore.
This places him above the three key secretaries working directly with the Chief Minister:
- Anupam Kumar – ₹2.89 crore
- Kumar Ravi – ₹2.91 crore
- Dr Chandrashekhar Singh – ₹2.22 crore
Gopal Singh’s declared wealth includes ancestral and jointly held family assets.
Vinay Kumar Among Highest Asset Holders with ₹8.64 Crore
Vinay Kumar, Principal Secretary, Urban Development and Housing Department, declared assets worth ₹8.64 crore, making him one of the highest asset holders among serving officers.
His disclosure includes:
- ₹4.47 crore movable assets
- ₹3.20 crore immovable property
- ₹1.5 crore family mutual fund investments
- ₹2.8 crore insurance cover
His declaration reflects a diversified financial portfolio.
Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit Declares ₹4.07 Crore, Excludes Market Value of Major Properties
Pratyaya Amrit, Bihar Chief Secretary, declared movable assets worth ₹4.07 crore.
His declaration includes:
- Land in Muzaffarpur
- Flat in Gurugram
- Around 1 kilogram of gold jointly held with spouse
However, the current market value of the Muzaffarpur land and Gurugram flat was not included in the total asset valuation.
Dr Chandrashekhar Singh Leads in Gold Holdings with 1.375 Kg Gold
Among all officers, Dr Chandrashekhar Singh stands out for holding the highest quantity of gold.
His declaration includes:
- 1,375 grams of gold
- Assets worth ₹2.22 crore
The gold has largely been shown as family gifts.
This makes him the top gold holder among senior Bihar officers.
Anupam Kumar’s Family Owns Bengaluru Flats
Anupam Kumar, Secretary handling Chief Minister’s Office and Information & Public Relations, declared ₹2.89 crore in total assets.
Notable disclosures include:
- Assets held in child’s name
- Two flats in Bengaluru
- Family holdings jointly declared with wife Pratima S. Verma, who is also an IAS officer
Kumar Ravi Holds 8.38 Acres of Land
Kumar Ravi declared total assets worth ₹2.91 crore.
His declaration includes:
- 8.38 acres agricultural and residential land
- Family-held property assets
Bandana Preyashi’s Husband’s Assets Not Fully Counted
Bandana Preyashi, Secretary, Social Welfare Department, declared ₹2.20 crore movable assets.
Her disclosure also includes:
- Ancestral agricultural land in Sitamarhi
- Residential properties in Patna
- Residential property in Ghaziabad
However:
- ₹3.03 crore movable assets in husband’s name not included
- Market value of husband’s properties in Ghazipur and Noida excluded
Vijayalakshmi Declares ₹4.49 Crore but Also ₹1.25 Crore Debt
Vijayalakshmi, Additional Chief Secretary, Planning and Development, declared:
- ₹4.49 crore total assets
- Jewellery weighing 1,250 grams
- Debt liability of ₹1.25 crore
Ravindran Sankaran and Lokesh Kumar Singh Show Strong Asset Portfolios
Ravindran Sankaran declared:
- ₹2.91 crore total assets
- Multiple residential properties
- 611 grams gold
Lokesh Kumar Singh declared:
- ₹2.58 crore movable assets
- Joint investments with spouse
- Agricultural land holdings
Abhay Kumar Singh Holds Delhi Flat
Abhay Kumar Singh declared:
- ₹3.91 crore assets
- Flat in New Delhi
Least Wealthy Officer: C.K. Anil Declares ₹35.44 Lakh
At the lower end of the spectrum, C.K. Anil declared only ₹35.44 lakh, making him the least wealthy among senior officers listed.
His declaration includes ancestral property in Khagaria.
Patna DM and SSP: IPS Officer Wealth Exceeds DGP
Thyagarajan S.M., Patna DM, declared assets worth ₹79.34 lakh.
Meanwhile:
- Karthikeya K. Sharma – ₹2.97 crore
- Vinay Kumar – ₹1.06 crore
This means Patna SSP Karthikeya Sharma currently holds significantly more declared assets than Bihar DGP Vinay Kumar.
Gold, Mutual Funds, PPF and Family Wealth Dominate Bureaucratic Savings
The disclosures clearly show that Bihar’s top officers prefer:
- Public Provident Fund (PPF)
- Mutual funds
- Bonds
- Insurance policies
- Shares
- Family-held jewellery
In many declarations, spouses hold larger movable assets than officers themselves, especially in:
- Gold
- Mutual funds
- Provident funds
This reflects a growing trend of diversified household wealth among senior bureaucratic families.
Transparency Exercise Updated Between February 10 and 12
Officials confirmed that the declarations were updated between February 10 and February 12 before being officially released on March 31.
The exercise is part of mandatory governance reforms designed to improve public transparency and institutional accountability.
