Lalu's trusted IAS officers placed in sons' departments

Rashtriya Janata Dal President Lalu Prasad Yadav's two of the most trusted senior IAS officers have been moved into departments held by the party patron's sons in the Bihar cabinet.

1982-batch IAS officer Sudhir Kumar, who was with Lalu Prasad during his tenure as Railway minister, has been made principal secretary road construction department under charge of Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav, a government notification issued last night said.

A 1987-batch IAS officer R K Mahajan has been moved from education department and made principal secretary of health held by Lalu Prasad's another son Tej Pratap Yadav.

Mahajan had served as executive director, public grievances, minister of railways when Lalu Prasad was in Rail Bhawan during UPA I.

The Nitish Kumar government effected the changes in senior levels of the bureaucracy last night to further tone up administration.

The new post of Sudhir Kumar, who is waiting for the posting, has been upgraded to the rank of chief secretary from the day of his joining, the notification said. He replaces Arun Kumar Singh in RCD, who has been moved to water resources department.

Meanwhile, Vijay Prakash, Commissioner of Agriculture Production has been given additional charge of vigilance department.

D S Gangwar, Principal Secretary to CM has been transferred to Education department. He would continue to hold responsibility as Principal Secretary to the CM as well Resident Commissioner of Bihar at Delhi.

Brajesh Mehrotra (89 batch IAS) has been transferred from the health department to cabinet coordination department.

The 1990-batch IAS K K Pathak waiting for posting has been made Principal Secretary in registration and excise.

Dipak Kumar Singh has been shifted from water resources to minor irrigation department.

Rahul Singh (96 batch IAS) has been transferred to finance department as secretary expenditure.