Raman removes Vivek Dhand from CM Secretariat

     Raipur, February 23, 2009: In a real surgery, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh today removed senior IAS officer Vivek Dhand from the CM Secretariat as the Principal Secretary.

     However, Singh has preferred his close confidant N Baijendra Kumar (Batch 1985) as the Secretary to the Chief Minister and he would also continue with his previous departments of Public Relations, Housing and Environment.

     Although no reason has been given for shifting of Dhand (1981), but sources claimed the Chief Minister was not happy with his performance. With that Dhand has been relieved of the Departments of Water Resources, Energy and the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and he would continue as Principal Secretary Food with additional charge as Commissioner cum Principal Secretary Urban Development.

     A total of 19 IAS officers were affected in today’s reshuffle, in which D S Mishra (1982) is made the Principal Secretary Panchayat Raj and Rural Development and Energy Department with additional charge as Development Commissioner.

     1983 batch Ajay Singh is made the Principal Secretary Finance and Planning and in his place Ganesh Shankar Mishra (1994) is the new Commissioner Commercial Tax, with additional charges of Excise and Secretary Commercial Tax (Excise and Registration) and Managing Director Beverage Corporation, a GAD order said late in night.

     Narayan Singh (1977) is made Secretary Village Industry, Technical Education, Science and Technology Departments with additional charges of Director Village Industry and Silk and Managing Director State Handloom Development Board.

     The Chief Minister has taken away Tribal and SC Welfare Department from M K Raut (1984) and given him the additional charge of Higher Education Department. However, he would continue as the Principal Secretary PWD.

     Both C K Khetan (1987) and Vivek Dhand have swapped their position and Khetan has been posted as the Secretary Irrigation.

     Khetan’s batch mate R P Mandal is the new Secretary SC, ST Welfare Department, where as B S Anant (1993) is made Commissioner Tribal Welfare in place of Manoj Pingua (1994), who is posted in place of Ganesh Shankar Mishra as the Commissioner Bastar Division.

     After a long gap, Jawahar Srivastav (1988) has been assigned many major works, and taking away from him the Social Welfare Department, the Secretary General Administration Department is given the additional charges of Revenue, Religious Affairs, Relief Commissioner and Rehabilitation Commissioner.

     Renu G Pillay (1991) is posted as Secretary Finance with additional Charge as Commissioner Employment Guarantee Scheme.

     Durgesh Chandra Mishra (1991) is the new Secretary Cooperation with additional Charge of Registrar Cooperative Societies.

     S K Behar (1992) is posted as the Secretary Women and Child Welfare and Social Welfare Departments. After Behar takes over charges R P Jain (1990) would be relieved from the Department of Women and Child Welfare Department, the order said.

     The Government took away the post of Managing Director of the State Marketing Federation from Dinesh Kumar Srivastav (1992) and given that to B L Tiwari (1996) and with his original posting as the MD State Civil Supply Corporation, the additional charge of Secretary Food and Civil Supply and Consumer Protection Department has been given to Srivastav.

     Taking away Higher Education Department from P Ramesh Kumar (1986 batch) and allotting that to M K Raut, the Government has given Ramesh Kumar the additional charge of Commissioner Industry along with his original charge as Secretary Commerce, Industry and Public Sector Undertaking Departments.