Arun Kumar Singh appointed new chief secretary of Bihar

PATNA: Arun Kumar Singh was appointed new chief secretary of Bihar after the retirement of his predecessor Deepak Kumar on Sunday.A 1985-batch IAS officer, Arun is scheduled to retire on August 31 this year. He was earlier posted as development commissioner.Deepak, a 1984-batch IAS officer, has now been appointed afresh the principal secretary to CM Nitish Kumar. State’s cabinet secretariat department’s principal secretary Sanjay Kumar on Sunday issued a notification regarding the appointment of Deepak after his superannuation. “A notification regarding the terms and conditions of Deepak’s appointment will be issued separately,” the notification reads. Amir Subhani, the topper of 1987-batch civil services examination who served as additional chief secretary (home) with the additional charges of vigilance and prohibition, excise & registration departments, was on Sunday appointed development commissioner in place of Arun.According to a notification issued by the general administration department, Subhani has also been given the additional charge of director general, Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD) and the additional chief secretary, vigilance department. Similarly, water resources department’s principal secretary Chaitanya Prasad (1990-batch) has been transferred to home department in similar capacity. Prasad will be the new head of the home department in place of Subhani. Prasad will also hold the additional charge of principal secretary, prohibition, excise and registration department.Principal secretary of art, culture and youth department Ravi Manubhai Parmar (1992-batch) has been transferred to the minor water resources department in similar capacity, replacing Santosh Kumar Mall (1997), who has been posted as secretary, information technology department. Mall will also hold the additional charge of secretary, tourism. Parmar has been given the additional charge of the art, culture and youth department till further order.Prem Singh Meena (2000-batch), secretary, SC/ST welfare department, has been sent to the finance department in similar capacity, replacing Divesh Sehra (2005), who has been asked to join as secretary, SC/ST welfare department.Energy department’s secretary Sanjiv Hans (1997 batch) has been asked to hold the additional charge of the secretary, water resources department, till further order.