Bihar: Pratyaya Amrit takes charge as health secretary amid soaring Covid cases

PATNA: Amid the explosion of coronavirus cases in Bihar, the state government on Monday brought in 1991-batch IAS officer Pratyaya Amrit to take the reins of the state health department as its principal secretary.
This is the second transfer of the top official in state health department since the Covid-19 pandemic began in Bihar. On May 20, the state government had transferred Sanjay Kumar, a 1990-batch IAS officer, to tourism department as principal secretary and replaced him with Udai Singh Kumawat. Sanjay had been leading the state’s charge against Covid-19 since the virus entered the state.
Other than Amrit, four other senior IAS officers got new responsibilities on Monday, while three others got additional charges.
Amrit, who is also the energy department’s principal secretary, will continue with the additional charge of principal secretary of disaster management department as well as chairman-cum-managing director of Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited.
The newly appointed principal secretary for health emphasized the need for increasing the number of Covid-19 tests in the state as directed by the CM. “I am conscious of the challenges ahead and will try to tackle all issues at the earliest,” Amrit told TOI, adding team work will show results soon.
Kumawat, a 1993-batch IAS officer, has been made adviser in the Bihar State Planning Commission. He has also been relieved of the additional charge of director-general of Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development.
Development commissioner Arun Kumar, a 1985-batch IAS officer, will now hold the additional charge of DG, Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development.
Sources said the state government was not happy with Kumawat’s performance as the number of Covid cases kept soaring in the past two months. The state chapter of Indian Medical Association had on Sunday written a letter to the CM and health minister asking for Kumawat’s removal and requested him to bring back Sanjay.
As per the notification issued by the general administration department (GAD) on Monday, 1988-batch IAS officer Sudhir Kumar Singh has been made the chief adviser to the Bihar State Planning Board. Sudhir, who was holding the charge of additional chief secretary in the labour resources department, will continue to hold the additional charge of GAD’s vigilance commissioner.
The 1993-batch IAS officer, Mihir Kumar Singh, who after returning from the Centre was awaiting posting, has been made principal secretary of the labour resources department.
Finance department’s principal secretary S Siddhartha has been given the additional charge of the industries department. As per the GAD notification, industries department secretary Narmdeshwar Lal, a 1998-batch IAS officer, will continue with his responsibilities.
The notification further stated that water resources department secretary Sanjeev Hans will hold the additional charge of energy department secretary as well as chairman-cum-managing director of Bihar State Power (Holding) Company Limited. He has been relieved from his additional charges of vigilance commissioner in GAD as well as secretary, health department.