Ranchi, Sep 30 : Senior IAS officer Avinash Kumar has been appointed the new Chief Secretary of Jharkhand, succeeding Alka Tiwari, whose tenure ended on Tuesday.

The state government issued a formal notification on Tuesday evening through the Department of Personnel, Administrative Reforms, and Official Language, announcing the appointment of the 1993 batch officer of the Jharkhand cadre.

Along with the top bureaucratic post, Avinash Kumar has also been entrusted with other responsibilities.

According to the notification, he will also serve as Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister and Chief Resident Commissioner of Jharkhand Bhavan, New Delhi.

Until now, Avinash Kumar had been holding key positions including the Development Commissioner, the Chairman and Managing Director of Jharkhand Energy Development Corporation Limited, and the Managing Director of Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited.

Avinash Kumar, after assuming the charge as the new Chief Secretary, met Chief Minister Hemant Soren here on Tuesday evening.

Ajay Kumar Singh, a 1995-batch IAS officer, currently serving as Additional Chief Secretary of the Health, Medical Education, and Family Welfare Department, has been given the additional charge of Development Commissioner until further orders, as per the notification.

Avinash Kumar's appointment comes against the backdrop of seniority reshuffling in the state bureaucracy. His predecessor, Tiwari (1988 batch), had taken charge as Chief Secretary on November 1, 2024, and retired on Tuesday.

Following her retirement, the top contender on the seniority list was Shailesh Kumar Singh (1991 batch). But he is currently serving as Secretary in the Rural Development Ministry on Central deputation.

Next in line was Nidhi Khare (1992 batch), who is also on Central deputation. With both senior officers unavailable, Avinash Kumar, who was third in seniority, emerged as the natural choice.

Other senior officers, including 1995-batch IAS officers Ajay Kumar Singh, Satyendra Singh, and Nitin Madan Kulkarni, were also considered strong contenders. However, the state government finally decided in favour of Avinash Kumar.

/IANS