Fourth IAS officer in UP seeks early retirement

LUCKNOW:  After three senior IAS officers sought voluntary retirement from service (VRS), yet another IAS officer, Vidya Bhushan, has put in his papers.

Bhushan is MD of Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (PVVNL) and has opted for VRS citing "personal reasons". A 2008-batch officer, Bhushan is currently posted in Varanasi.

Bhushan's request comes close on the heels of action taken against his wife, IPS officer Alankrita Singh, who was suspended by the state government for travelling abroad without prior information to the authorities concerned.

Action against Singh, also a 2008-batch officer, was initiated in April this year.

In early August, senior IAS officer Renuka Kumar, who was recently repatriated to the UP cadre from the Centre, where she was posted as a secretary in the ministry of minority affairs, also applied for voluntary retirement.

Before her, Juthika Patankar, a 1988-batch officer, who was on Central deputation since 2018 and is currently posted as additional secretary in the ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship, also sought voluntary retirement.

A 2003-batch officer Vikas Gothalwal had also opted for early retirement.