Alok Ranjan retires as chief secretary today, appointed chief adviser to CM Akhilesh Yadav

While another extension would also have required permission from Government of India, sources informed that Chief Minister did not wish to enter into another controversy before elections and thus decided to rather make Ranjan the chief adviser, equivalent to cabinet minister rank. The appointment does not require any notification or approval from Centre.

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Sources in the government informed that the step has been forced because of the large number of pending works, especially projects, which are yet to be completed and Ranjan has been monitoring them.

Among the priority projects of the government, which it wants to achieve even partially by October, includes completion of Lucknow-Agra Greenfield Expressway, start of work on ground for Samajwadi Poorvanchal Expressway connecting Lucknow to Ballia via Azamgarh. While the deadline for Lucknow-Agra Expressway is October, sources informed that as per the deadline set by Ranjan recently, Chief Minister is scheduled to lay foundation stone of Poorvanchal Expressway in August.

The long list of priority projects, which are being currently monitored by the special committee headed by Ranjan includes Lucknow IT city, Riverside development of Gomti, Lion Safari in Etawah, Perfume Park in Kannauj, Metro Train project in Lucknow, Mughal Museum in Agra, recently included 197-km long bicycle highway from Agra to Etawah and cycle tracks in different cities.

Asked about his new appointment, Ranjan told The Indian Express: “My new job will include advising the CM on policy matters. I would continue to monitor all the priority projects of the government, development agenda as well as their implementation including facilitation of industries.”

Sources informed that Ranjan would be given a room with the meeting hall on the ground floor of the Shastri Bhavan (Secretariat) in Lucknow.

Ranjan was in news when his wife Surabhi Ranjan was conferred “Yash Bharti” award by the state government. Now his appointment as cabinet minister rank adviser has again created a a buzz about “his closeness to the Yadav family”.

Meanwhile, a search has been launched to appoint the new Chief Secretary with two of the leading probables being 1982-batch officer Praveer Kumar, who is at present Agriculture Production Commissioner and Deepak Singhal, also of 1982-batch, who is at present Principal Secretary Irrigation and is considered close to senior minister Shivpal Singh Yadav.

Anil Kumar Gupta, a 1979-batch officer who is Chairman, Board of Revenue, is among the senior most officers and has recently been made president of the UP IAS Association as well. But, sources informed that CM is not agreeable on his name. Among others, 1981-batch officer Anuj Kumar Bishnoi, who is at present posted as secretary to Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, is also among the options and so is 1983-batch officer Rahul Bhatnagar, who is serving as Principal Secretary, Finance.

“The next Chief Secretary is expected to be from 1982-batch only. It would be clear soon,” said a senior government official.