Alok Ranjan gets an important assignment in Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has appointed outgoing chief secretary Alok Ranjan as his chief advisor with the status of cabinet minister.

The 1978 batch IAS officer's new assignment will come into effect from July one after he completes his term as the Chief Secretary, UP on June 30. He will advise the chief minister on the developmental projects, most of them were initiated and monitored during his eventful term.

Earlier on March 31, he was given three months extension on the post of UP CS as his pro-active approach had always come in for praise from the state government specially the chief minister.

While a day to go for him to vacate the top bureaucratic post of UP, the government has yet to announce his successor. Of the two of the top contenders- Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC) Praveer Kumar and Principal Secretary, Irrigation, Deepak Singhal-the former holds confidence of the chief minister due to his clean image and efficiency.

Of these two 1982-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, one is most likely to be made the chief secretary though the CM had opted for Praveer Kumar at the time of appointment of APC, generally considered to be the second most important post after the CS.

One possibility also remains that Praveer Kumar might be asked to function as acting chief secretary before regular appointment is made by July 4 next on the return of chief minister's from a foreign trip which commences on Wednesday.