Patna, Oct 22 (IANS): The Bihar government on Tuesday ordered a major reshuffle in the top bureaucracy with Chaitanya Prasad being removed from his position as Development Commissioner and Pratyay Amrit being appointed as his replacement.

The Development Commissioner is considered the second most important post in the state bureaucracy, ranking just below the Chief Secretary.

In a notification issued by the government, seven senior officers have been transferred. Chaitanya Prasad, who was serving as Development Commissioner, has been reassigned to the post of Chief Investigation Commissioner in the General Administration Department. This post is typically seen as less influential and is often given to officials to whom the government does not wish to assign major responsibilities.

Pratyay Amrit, who was simultaneously managing three key departments - Health, Road Construction, and Disaster Management - has been promoted to the position of Development Commissioner.

While he will continue overseeing the Health and Disaster Management departments as Additional Chief Secretary, the charge of the Road Construction Department has been reassigned.

This reshuffle reflects the Bihar government's strategic adjustments to key administrative roles, ensuring that trusted officials like Pratyay Amrit handle critical portfolios.

The Bihar government has made additional significant changes in its bureaucracy, appointing Mihir Kumar Singh as the new Additional Chief Secretary of the Road Construction Department. Previously, Singh was responsible for the Panchayati Raj Department, the Mines and Geology Department, as well as the role of Chief Investigation Commissioner in the General Administration Department.

He will now be relieved from all these roles and focus solely on the Road Construction Department.

In another move, Narmadeshwar Lal, the Principal Secretary of the Sugarcane Industry Department, has been transferred and appointed as the Additional Chief Secretary of the Mines and Geology Department. Additionally, Lal will oversee the role of Managing Director (MD) for both the Mineral Development Corporation and the Mining Corporation Limited.

The state government has also reassigned Divesh Sehra, currently the Secretary of the Scheduled Caste and Tribe Welfare Department, with the additional responsibility of Secretary of the Panchayati Raj Department.

Meanwhile, Kartikeya Dhanji, the Secretary of the Road Construction Department, has been given extra duties as Secretary of the Sugarcane Industry Department.

These changes are part of a broader administrative reshuffle aimed at streamlining responsibilities and improving governance across key departments in Bihar.