EX-CHIEF SECY SINGHAL IS CHIEF OF VIGILANCE BODY

LUCKNOW: After his sudden removal as chief secretary Tuesday last, Deepak Singhal was made chairman of the State Vigilance Commission and Administrative Tribunal on Thursday. Prior to his appointment as chief secretary, Singhal was principle secretary, irrigation, and was considered close to Shivpal Yadav.

After his sudden removal as chief secretary Tuesday last, Deepak Singhal was made chairman of the State Vigilance Commission and Administrative Tribunal on Thursday.

Bhuvnesh Kumar, secretary, vocational education and skill development has been made the new commissioner of Lucknow division in place of Anup Chandra Pandey. Pandey, who was also principle secretary medical education department, has been given the additional charge of commissioner, Finance, Institutional Finance.

Prior to his appointment as chief secretary, Singhal was principle secretary, irrigation, and was considered close to cabinet minister Shivpal Yadav, who then held the PWD and irrigation department portfolio in the Akhilesh Yadav government. His unceremonious removal from the post of chief secretary was reportedly due to his attending a party in New Delhi thrown by Samajwadi Party member of Parliament Amar Singh in which he is said to have made some adverse comment against the way the government was functioning.

Bhuvnesh Kumar, who was also acting as chief staff officer to chief secretary, has been divested of this charge but would continue to hold the post of secretary, vocational and skill development.