Senior IAS Alok Ranjan is UP’s new infra boss; 18 officers transferred

UTTAR Pradesh government is likely to give a major push to its infrastructure after it has zeroed in a senior IAS officer of 1978 batch, as the state’s new Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner (IIDC). The post lied vacant for about six months, media reports highlighted. Alok Ranjan, who has been made principal secretary, industry, will get additional charge of IIDC. A graduate from Delhi’s prestigious...
St Stephen’s college and MBA from IIM-Ahmedabad, Ranjan has been serving as agriculture production commissioner (APC) in the state.
Ranjan’s seniority in the administration and his current clout in Lucknow would help him initiating and implementing big infrastructure projects. In April, Ranjan was made officiating chief secretary of UP in the absence of Jawed Usmani who had accompanied chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to United States. Yadav was invited to make a presentation on Kumbh Mela in Harvard University, but the UP chief minister cancelled the programme at the last moment after his ministerial colleague Azam Khan was humiliated by frisking and questioning at the Logan International Airport in Boston.
Ranjan’s new portfolio was given on Saturday when Akhilesh Yadav government undertook a massive administrative reshuffle, transferring 18 IAS officers in one go. Neeraj Kumar Gupta, a 1982 batch IAS and resident commissioner in UP Bhawan, New Delhi, will now move to Lucknow as the state principal secretary (technical education). Shalini Prasad, a 1985 batch IAS who had earlier served in Union health ministry including in NACO under the Central deputation, will be based out of Kanpur as the new labour commissioner.
According to reports, this is the eleventh time, the current Samajwadi Party government under Yadav has effected major administrative reshuffle in the last one year and three months.

Action and Appointments
a) In partial modification of DoPT’s June 18 order, it was decided that Ms Nita Kejriwal, Director, CSS, ministry of rural development, is posted to National Advisory Council (NAC) under the PMO. The NAC is headed by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
b) The government has approved continuation of the additional charge of the post of secretary, ministry of women and child development assigned to Ms Nita Chowdhury, a 1977 batch UP cadre IAS and secretary of the department of youth affairs, for a further period from June 18, 2013 to July 17, 2013.