The Assam government on Tuesday (16.01.2024) announced the appointment of Ravi Kota (IAS:1993:AM) as the next Chief Secretary of the state, succeeding Paban Kumar Borthakur (IAS:1989:AM). Kota is set to assume office on March 31, aligning with the scheduled retirement of the current Chief Secretary.
This decision follows the extension of Pawan Kumar Borthakur’s tenure by three months in December 2023. Concurrently, Ravi Kota has been transferred and designated as Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) for the Industries, Commerce & Public Enterprises Department. He will also hold additional charges as ACS for the Finance Department and Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Office of Chief Secretary, Assam.
Prior to this appointment, Kota served as the Additional Chief Secretary for the Home & Political Department, Industries, Commerce & Public Enterprises Departments since September of the previous year.
In a related development, several top bureaucrats within the Assam government underwent reshuffling.
Ravi Shankar Prasad (IAS:1990:AM), Additional Chief Secretary, Environment & Forest, Soil Conservation Departments, Director General, Assam Administrative Staff College and Chairman, Assam Administrative Tribunal (Addl. charge)is designated as Special Chief Secretary, Environment & Forest, Soil Conservation Departments. He will continue to hold the charges of Director General, Assam Administrative Staff College, and Chairman, Assam Administrative Tribunal. Prasad is also posted as Principal Resident Commissioner, Assam Bhawan, New Delhi as additional charge.
Syedain Abbasi, Additional Chief Secretary, Public Health Engineering, Water Resources, Irrigation and Information Technology Departments and Resident Representative, Govt. of Assam, New Delhi(Addl. charge) is designated as Special Chief Secretary, Public Health Engineering, Water Resources, Irrigation and Information Technology Departments and Resident Representative, Govt. of Assam, New Delhi(Addl. charge). He is also posted as Chairman, APDCL as additional charge.
Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani (IAS:1992:AM), Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture, Transformation & Development Departments, Agriculture Production Commissioner, Assam, Chairman, State Level Recruitment Commission for class-III & Chairman, ARIAS Society (Addl. charge) is designated as Special Chief Secretary, Agriculture, Transformation & Development Departments. He will continue to hold the charges of Agriculture Production Commissioner, Assam, Chairman, State Level Recruitment Commission for class-III & Chairman, ARIAS Society (Addl. charge).
Kailash Chand Samria (IAS:1993:AM), Chairman, Board of Revenue is also posted as Additional Chief Secretary, Fishery Department as additional charge.
Avinash Purushottam Das Joshi (IAS:1994:AM), Additional Chief Secretary, General Administration, Health and Family Welfare Departments, and Addl. Principal Resident Commissioner, Assam Bhawan, New Delhi(Addl. charge) is transferred and posted as Additional Chief Secretary, Home & Political Department. He will continue to hold the post of Additional Principal Resident Commissioner, Assam Bhawan, New Delhi as additional charge.
Dr. Krishna Kumar Dwivedi (IAS:1994:AM), Principal Secretary, Personnel and Power (E) Departments & Chairman, APDCL. (Addl. charge) is transferred and posted as Principal Secretary, Chief Minister, Assam, and Principal Secretary, Power (F) Department as additional charge.
Dr. Patibandla Ashok Babu (IAS:2003:AM), on return from central deputation, is posted as Commissioner & Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department.
MS Manivannan (IAS:2005:AM), Commissioner & Secretary, General Administration, Irrigation Departments and CEO, SITA and Resident Commissioner, Assam Bhawan, New Delhi (Addl. charge) is also posted as Commissioner & Secretary, Personnel Department as additional charge.
Akash Deep (IAS:2005:AM), Principal Secretary-cum-Chief Executive Officer, Bodoland Territorial Region, Kokrajhar, Assam and PD, ARIAS is relieved from the additional charge of PD, ARIAS.
Rakesh Kumar (IAS:2005:AM), MD, APDCL and Commissioner & Secretary, Fishery and Excise Departments and Chairman, APGCL, and Commissioner of Excise, Assam (Addl. charge) is relieved from the additional charge of Commissioner of Excise, Assam.
Virendra Mittal (IAS:2007:AM), on return from Central Deputation, is posted as Commissioner & Secretary, Social Justice & Empowerment, Irrigation Departments and PD, ARIAS as additional charge.
Biswajit Pegu (IAS:2009:AM), Secretary, Social Justice & Empowerment and Home & Political Departments (Addl. charge)is transferred and posted as Secretary, Home & Political Department.
Jitu Doley (IRS), Secretary, Finance Department is also posted as Commissioner of Excise as additional charge.
