In a big decision taken by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan led Madhya Pradesh government, 1988 batch IAS officer Veera Rana has been given the Additional Charge of Chief Secretary of the state.
She will be the second woman bureaucrat in Madhya Pradesh’s history to serve as Chief Secretary.
Interestingly, this decision has been made just few days ahead of the results for the assembly elections in the state. Madhya Pradesh’s Assembly Election 2023 result will be declared on 3 December as the state went to polls on 17 November.
On the night of 29 November, the government issued an order and announced the elevation of Ms. Rana as chief secretary. She will take charge on 30 November.
Mrs. Rana is presently serving as chairperson of the Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education and also holds the additional charge of the state’s agriculture production commissioner.
She will replace 1985 batch IAS officer Iqbal Singh Bains, who is retiring from service after getting two extensions. Mr. Bains was supposed to retire on November 30, 2022, but was given a six- month extension (till May 31, 2023) and another extension for the same period till November 30 in view of the assembly elections.
Before Ms. Rana, in the early 1990s, 1960 batch IAS officer Nirmala Buch had the distinction of serving as the state’s first woman chief secretary during 1991-1992. Ms. Buch, passed away in July this year. She was suffering from cancer.
WHO IS VEERA RANA?
Born on 26 March, 1964, Ms. Rana hails from Uttar Pradesh. She is a Bachelor of Arts and a MBA. Her retirement is due in March, 2024.
She is counted among the strict disciplinarian administrative officers of the state and has served many important posts, from district magistrate to secretary in various departments.
She has held the responsibilities of important departments like Chief Electoral Officer of Madhya Pradesh State, Additional Chief Secretary of Sports and Youth Welfare Department, Director General in the Academy of Administration, Cottage and Village Industries Department and General Administration Personnel Department.
Ms. Rana has also been the Collector of Vidisha, Jabalpur and Mahasamund Districts of United Madhya Pradesh.
