Patna: Former Siwan DM Vivek Ranjan Maitrey, who had been kept in waiting after his transfer and had recently figured in the controversy over a policeman firing an AK-47 during a student protest in the district, has been given a new posting in the latest IAS reshuffle by the Bihar govt.The general administration department issued a notification on Friday, assigning new responsibilities to six IAS officers, including changes in the posts of deputy development commissioners of Nawada and Kaimur.Maitrey, a 2017-batch IAS officer, has been appointed additional secretary in the information and public relations department. During the student protest in Siwan, he had said the policeman who fired the AK-47 had no orders to open fire and the incident had drawn widespread attention.According to the notification, 2011-batch IAS officer Ujjwal Kumar Singh, director of animal husbandry department, has been transferred and posted as special secretary in rural development department.Shrikant Shastri, a 2012-batch IAS officer who was awaiting a new posting, has been appointed director of animal husbandry. Shastri was earlier the DM of Begusarai and was transferred from the post last week.The govt has also given 2018-batch IAS officer Nitin Kumar Singh, who was awaiting posting, charge as director of secondary education.Among field-level changes, 2021-batch IAS officer Neelima Sahu, deputy development commissioner of Nawada, has been transferred and appointed joint secretary in health department.Similarly, 2022-batch IAS officer Divya Shakti, deputy development commissioner of Kaimur, has been appointed commissioner in prohibition, excise and registration department.The reshuffle comes amid a series of administrative changes in Bihar, with a large number of IAS, IPS and Bihar Administrative Service officers receiving new postings during Aug.
