Bihar: 15 senior IAS officers transferred in major bureaucratic reshuffle

In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar on Wednesday assigned new postings to senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers heading several departments in the state.

S Siddharth, a 1991-batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre, has been made the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of the state Home Department, which is headed by the CM.

Apart from his new assignment, Siddharth will also hold the additional charge of the Cabinet Secretariat Department till further orders.

According to a notification issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) of the state government, K K Pathak, a 1990-batch IAS officer who was instrumental in framing the prohibition laws in 2016, has been made the ACS of the state Education Department.

Pathak has replaced Dipak Kumar Singh, a 1992-batch IAS officer, who has been appointed as the new ACS of the state Cooperative Department. Similarly, Chaitanya Prasad, a 1990-batch IAS officer, has been made the ACS of the state Water Resources Department.

Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, a 1992-batch IAS officer, has been appointed as the ACS of the Art, Culture and Youth Affairs Department of the state government.

She has replaced Bandana Preyashi, a 2003-batch IAS officer, who has been shifted to the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department of the state government.

The role of the Art, Culture and Youth Affairs Department is crucial in view of the scheduled meetings of the G20 engagement groups in Patna on June 22 and 23.

Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, a 2007-batch IAS officer, has been appointed as Secretary of the state Prohibition, Excise & Registration Department.

Ashima Jain, a 2008-batch IAS officer, who returned from central deputation, has been appointed as Special Secretary of the Minor Water Resources Department.