Patna: A week after kicking off social reform campaign (Samaj Sudhar Abhiyan), Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday effected a major bureaucratic reshuffle, sending a strong signal of winds of change in the administrative set up to match with his reforms agenda.

The Chief Minister promoted present development commissioner 1987 batch IAS officer Amir Subhani to state’s Chief Secretary. He takes over from Tripurari Sharan who is retiring on Friday.
The government also gave additional charges to heads of various departments, besides transferring and posting IAS officials at the level of secretaries, joint secretaries, DMs and DDCs.

Chaitanya Prasad, a 1990 batch IAS officer, Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, has been given the additional charge of Vigilance Department, while technocrat-turned bureaucrat Chanchal Kumar, Principal Secretary to CM, has been given the additional charge of DG, General Administration Department and Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD). Transport Secretary, Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, a 2002 batch IAS officer, known for his affable behaviour, has been made new Secretary, Water Resources Department. Agarwal was also Commissioner of Patna and had charges of Disaster Management Department. He has been relieved from the charge of Commissioner, Patna.

Agarwal, as Transport Secretary, had brought in major reforms in the Transport Department like environment-friendly battery operated and CNG buses and other measures to streamline the transport system across Bihar. His role in the Water Resources Department would be important as the Bihar government is taking major steps to check the menace of flood in North Bihar. Secretary, Energy Department, Sanjeev Hans, who has played a major role in bringing reforms in power sector and streamlining the operations in Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited (BSPHCL), has been relieved from the charges of Water Resources Department.

 The 1997 batch IAS officer has played a major role in the roll out of the contentious Smart Prepaid Meter (SPM) in Bihar. Chief Minister Kumar has repeatedly stressed that before 2025 the SPM should be installed in every household of Bihar. The state has set a target of installing at total of 25 lakh SPMs both in rural and urban areas. Hans has strategically devised the plan of SPM installation and infused a fresh energy in the department. Managing Director, North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited (NBPDCL) and Bihar State Power Transmission Company Limited (BSPTCL) Sandeep Kumar R Pudakalkatti has been made Secretary, Labour Resources Department. The 2006 IAS officer would also hold the additional charge of Managing Director, Bihar State Road Transport Department.

The 2016 batch IAS officer Mukul Kumar Gupta has been made the new MD, NBPDCL and BSPTCL. Kumar Ravi, another favourite officer of the Chief Minister, who holds the charge of Secretary, Building Construction Department and MD, Bihar State Building Construction Corporation, has been given the additional charge of Commissioner of Patna. For a long period, Ravi had served as District Magistrate, Patna. He had shot into limelight when rainwater had flooded the eastern part of Patna even deluging the house of then Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi.

The 2011 batch IAS officer and Darbhanga District Magistrate Thiyagrajan SM, who is known for his administrative capabilities, has been made the new District Magistrate of Gaya. He will take over the charge from long time DM of the district Abhishek Kumar Singh, who has been made Managing Director, BUIDCO.