Avinash Kumar, a 1993 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of the state. He is the 26th chief secretary of the state.
He has held the post in place of outgoing Chief Secretary Alka Tiwari (1988 batch IAS officer), who retired from her service on September 30.
This appointment has been made in view of his long and multi-facetted experience in state administration, as well as his proven competence in various important departments.
Even before taking over as Chief Secretary, Avinash Kumar held several key positions in the state administration, many of which were in additional charge. The scope of his experience extends to the most sensitive and basic areas of the state.
Just before becoming Chief Secretary, Avinash Kumar was serving on the following major and additional charges:
Additional Chief Secretary (Chief Minister's Office): In this role, he played a key role in establishing close coordination with the Chief Minister's office and effective implementation of major policy initiatives of the State.
Development Commissioner: This post is important for the development plans, projects and inter-departmental coordination of the State. Under this responsibility, he focussed on the overall progress of the state.
Additional Chief Secretary (Department of Energy): He handled the administration of the state's power sector, which is essential for the state's industrial development and civic amenities.
Chairman-cum-Managing Director (Jharkhand Energy Development Corporation): While holding this post, he worked to implement the energy policies of the state and strengthen the management structure of the corporation.
Managing Director (Jharkhand Bijli Vidyut Nigam Ltd): It was his responsibility to manage the complex challenges of power distribution in the state and ensure reliable power supply to the consumers.
The BuckStopper, run by a group of seasoned journalists, holds the powerful accountable. The buck stops with them, as they cannot shrug off their official responsibilities.
