Rajive Kumar takes over UP chief secretary

Lucknow : Senior IAS officer Rajive Kumar, who was sent back to his cadre state – Uttar Pradesh – before completion of his tenure as Union Shipping Secretary, today took over as the new chief secretary of the state.

A 1981-batch IAS officer, Kumar took over from Rahul Bhatnagar, who was shifted to Greater Noida as chairman, with additional charge of investment commissioner of Uttar Pradesh, in New Delhi.

Bhatnagar was continuing as chief secretary from the days of previous Samajwadi Party government and the appointment was long awaited after the change of guard in the state after the BJP stormed to power in March after the Assembly elections.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) had last week approved Kumar’s premature repatriation to his cadre. In his previous stint in Uttar Pradesh, Kumar was a principal secretary holding important posts.

He went on Central deputation during the previous SP government and was appointed Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, in 2014. Kumar has also been given the additional charge of principal resident commissioner of Uttar Pradesh in New Delhi.

In today’s bureaucratic shakeup, Commissioner Meerut, Prabhat Kumar has been divested of the additional charge of chairman Greater Noida. He will, however, continue to hold the charge of Chairman of Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority, Gautam Budh Nagar.

The resident commissioner of the state in New Delhi and CEO Greater Noida Devashish Panda has been divested of the additional charge of investment commissioner, UP in New Delhi, a post given to Bhatnagar.