Patna: The Bihar government has ordered a major administrative reshuffle involving 14 IAS officers, bringing significant changes at the secretary and district levels. The late Monday evening order replaces the Commissioner of Patna Division and the District Magistrates of Bhojpur, Begusarai, Siwan, Sitamarhi and Kaimur, while several senior officers have been shifted across key departments.
The reshuffle also changes the leadership of important departments including Home, Finance, Vigilance, Rural Development, Prohibition, Excise & Registration, Social Welfare, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and Education.
Several officers have also been entrusted with additional responsibilities.
Rajesh Kumar Becomes Patna Division Commissioner
According to the General Administration Department notification, Rajesh Kumar, who was serving as Principal Secretary, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), has been appointed Commissioner, Patna Division.
He replaces Mayank Warwade, who has been moved from the Patna Commissioner’s post and appointed Principal Secretary, Vigilance Department.
The changes bring a new administrative leadership to the Patna Division while simultaneously assigning Warwade a key responsibility in the Vigilance Department.
Pankaj Kumar Gets Home Department
In one of the significant secretary-level changes, Pankaj Kumar, a 1997-batch IAS officer, has been transferred from Principal Secretary, Rural Development Department to Principal Secretary, Home Department.
He replaces Kundan Kumar, who has been relieved of the additional charge of Home Secretary.
Pankaj Kumar will also continue to hold the additional charge of Inquiry Commissioner, General Administration Department, according to the order.
Meanwhile, H.R. Srinivasa, a 1996-batch IAS officer, has been shifted from Additional Chief Secretary, Social Welfare Department to Additional Chief Secretary, Rural Development Department. He will continue to hold the additional charge of Inquiry Commissioner, General Administration Department.
Vinay Kumar Takes Charge of Finance Department
Another major change has been made in the Finance Department.
Vinay Kumar, a 1999-batch IAS officer, has been transferred from Principal Secretary, Urban Development and Housing Department and appointed Principal Secretary, Finance Department.
He will, however, continue to hold the additional charge of the Urban Development and Housing Department.
The appointment comes amid a wider restructuring of senior administrative responsibilities across Bihar’s key departments.
Sanjay Kumar Singh Gets Prohibition, Excise & Registration
Sanjay Kumar Singh, a 2007-batch IAS officer, has been shifted from Secretary, Finance Department to Secretary, Prohibition, Excise & Registration Department.
He will continue to hold additional responsibilities for the Commercial Taxes Department, GST and the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
With this move, the government has also relieved Navin Kumar of the additional charge of the Prohibition Department.
Rajiv Roshan Gets Education Department
The Education Department has also seen a change in leadership.
Rajiv Roshan, a 2010-batch IAS officer, has been transferred from Secretary, Higher Education Department and appointed Secretary, Education Department.
He will continue to hold the additional charge of Secretary, Higher Education Department, besides being given the additional charge of Secretary (Resources), Finance Department.
Meanwhile, Vinod Singh Gunjiyal has been relieved of the additional charge of the Education Department and assigned the additional charge of Secretary, Social Welfare Department.
B. Kartikey Dhanji Appointed PHED Secretary
IAS Dhanji has been transferred from the Minor Water Resources Department and appointed Secretary, Public Health Engineering Department.
He will continue to hold the additional charge of Inquiry Commissioner, General Administration Department.
Separately, Dr Chandrashekhar Singh, Secretary, Water Resources Department, has been given the additional charge of Secretary, Minor Water Resources Department.
Five Districts Get New DMs
The reshuffle has also brought major changes at the district level, with new District Magistrates appointed in Bhojpur, Begusarai, Siwan, Sitamarhi and Kaimur.
- Manesh Kumar Meena, a 2015-batch IAS officer who was serving as Director, Mines, has been appointed District Magistrate, Bhojpur.
- Richie Pandey, who was serving as DM, Sitamarhi, has been transferred and appointed DM, Begusarai.
- Vijay Prakash Meena, Additional Secretary in the Urban Development and Housing Department, has been appointed DM, Siwan.
- Tanai Sultania, who was serving as DM, Bhojpur, has been transferred and appointed DM, Sitamarhi.
- Kumar Anurag, Managing Director of the Bihar State Building Construction Corporation Limited, has been appointed DM, Kaimur (Bhabhua).
The concerned officers have also been appointed as District Magistrates for their respective districts under Section 14 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, according to the order.
Additional Charges Assigned to Three Officers
The government has also distributed several additional responsibilities as part of the reshuffle.
Arvind Kumar Chaudhary, a 1995-batch IAS officer and Additional Chief Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat Department, has been given the additional charge of Director General, Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD) until further orders.
Dr Chandrashekhar Singh, Secretary, Water Resources Department, will additionally oversee the Minor Water Resources Department.
Navdeep Shukla, Special Secretary, Youth Employment and Skill Development Department, has been given the additional charge of Project Director, Bihar Education Project Council.
Major Administrative Changes Across Bihar
The latest order represents a broad restructuring of Bihar’s administrative machinery, affecting senior officers from the Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary levels to Secretaries and District Magistrates.
The changes simultaneously alter the leadership of several important policy and governance departments while bringing new administrative heads to five districts.
The reshuffle also redistributes additional responsibilities among senior officers, including portfolios related to Home, Finance, Education, Rural Development, Vigilance, Social Welfare, PHED and Prohibition, Excise & Registration.
The government order was issued under the direction of the Governor of Bihar and bears the signature of Under Secretary Siddheshwar Chaudhary.
