Rajendra Prasad Mandal made new Chief Secretary of C'garh

The Chhattisgarh government on Thursday appointed Rajendra Prasad Mandal as the new Chief Secretary of the state, officials said.

Mandal, a 1987-batch IAS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre, will replace 1986-batch officer, Sunil Kumar Kujur, who retired from service on Thursday.

Kujur was appointed as the chief secretary in January this year by the newly-elected Congress government, a government public relation official said here.

Before being elevated to the post of chief secretary, Mandal was posted as the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Panchayat and Rural Development department as well as Forest department.

The state government also transferred eight other IAS officers.

Chittaranjan Kumar Khetan, who is presently posted as ACS Home and Jail, has been posted as the Chairman of Revenue Board, Bilaspur.

Khetan, a 1987-batch officer, was also being considered for the coveted post of the chief secretary.

Former Chief Secretary and incumbent Chairman of the Board of Revenue, Bilaspur, Ajay Singh, has been posted as the Deputy Chairman of the State Planning Commission, Atal Nagar Nava Raipur.

Dr Alok Shukla, a 1986 batch IAS, presently posted as Principal Secretary Mantralaya will now be posted as Principal Secretary Planning, Economics and Statistics, Implementation of 20 points Programme and Science and Technology department with additional charge of Director General, Chhattisgarh Science and Technology Council.

Shukla is an accused in the alleged multi-crore civil supply scam unearthed during the previous BJP regime States.

Chief Electoral Officer Subrat Sahoo, a 1992-batch IAS officer, has been transferred as the Principal Secretary, Home and Jail, with additional charge of Principal Secretary Panchayat and Rural Development Department.

Manoj Kumar Pingua, a 1994-batch IAS, presently posted as the Principal Secretary Commerce and Industries and Public Sector Undertakings, has been relieved from his additional responsibility of Principal Secretary Transport, Transport Commissioner. However, he has been given additional charge of Principal Secretary, Forest department.