The Uttar Pradesh bureaucracy is abuzz with discussions after the state government placed senior IAS officer Manoj Singh on the waiting list just 51 days before his retirement. Singh had been serving as Additional Chief Secretary of Forest, Environment, and Climate Change since June 2021. Sources suggest his removal may be linked to the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) recent critical remarks on the poor condition of the Ganga river in Uttar Pradesh.
The NGT has voiced serious concerns about the declining water quality of the Ganga, largely due to untreated sewage discharge. It has directed Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh to submit an affidavit within four weeks detailing measures to address the river’s pollution. The next hearing is set for January 20, 2025.
In a related development, the responsibilities of Dr Raj Shekhar (IAS:2004:UP) have been reduced; he has been relieved of roles including Secretary of Namami Gange and Rural Water Supply, State Nodal Officer for the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, and Managing Director of the UP Land Reforms Corporation. He now serves as Managing Director of UP Jal Nigam (Rural).
Meanwhile, the state government has suspended Chief Environmental Officer of the UP Pollution Control Board Vivek Rai and Regional Officer of Unnao Dr. Anil Mathur.
