MANOJ SINGH, YOGI'S TRUSTED OFFICER, IS NEW UP CHIEF SECRETARY

LUCKNOW: Manoj Kumar Singh, known in the bureaucratic circles as a trusted officer of CM Yogi Adityanath, took over as the chief secretary of UP on Sunday, replacing DS Mishra, whose tenure came to an end.

A 1988 batch IAS officer, Singh, 59, hails from Ranchi and was holding the posts of agriculture production commissioner (APC), infrastructure and industrial development commissioner (IIDC) and additional chief secretary of the Panchayati Raj department. He is due to retire in July 2025.

Mishra, a 1984-batch IAS officer, was repatriated to his parent cadre UP and appointed chief secretary barely two days before his retirement, on Dec 31, 2021. He had been holding the charge since then after getting three extensions. There was speculation that he might get another extension, but Centre's refusal paved the way for Singh's elevation.

Singh will continue to serve as the IIDC as well while the ACS, appointments and agriculture, has been given additional charge of the APC.

Singh was promoted as additional chief secretary in June 2020. He has been heading the rural development department for more than four years and in May 2022 his stature grew further after he was given the rare dual charge of APC and IIDC.

Besides heading all the industrial development authorities in UP, Singh has been serving the state as ACS food processing, coordinator of diversified agriculture support project and chairperson of PICUP, UPEIDA and UPSHA.