In a massive administrative reshuffle ahead of the Bihar assembly polls, the state government on Saturday transferred 49 IAS and 44 IPS officers. Patna and Nalanda DMs were also transferred. Of the 49 IAS officers transferred were 28 district magistrates. The new Patna DM is Pratima Verma. [related-post] The massive administrative transfer a week before the Election Commission team’s visit to Bihar has invited sharp political reactions. While the JD(U) has called it a “routine transfer”, BJP has called it a “planned” transfer to take “political mileage”. Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said: “Let Bihar government engage in transfers and deputations, the election result will be on the expected lines in favour of NDA”. Majority of the districts where IPS transfers have been effected fall in North Bihar.
