Midnight reshuffle in Uttar Pradesh: Information Director Shishir Singh transferred, Kaushal Raj Sharma brought into CMO
In an another major shift that came as a surprise, Director of Information Shishir Singh, who was considered close to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, was also transferred and replaced by 2015-batch IAS officer Vishal Singh, who was Bhadohi District Magistrate and had earlier served as vice chairman of the Ayodhya Development Authority from 2020 to 2024.
A total of 33 officers were transferred in the reshuffle.
Kaushal Raj Sharma, who has been made secretary to the CM, served as District Magistrate of Lucknow from 2017 to 2019 and then District Magistrate of Varanasi until 2022, before he was appointed Divisional Commissioner of Varanasi.
He came to be known for his crisis management skills while serving as District Magistrate of Muzaffarnagar in 2013, where he took charge soon after the communal riots there. He has also served as District Magistrate of Prayagraj, Kanpur and Pilibhit.
Meanwhile, the most unexpected transfer was that of Director Information Shishir Singh, who had been in the post since 2017. He has now been made Special Secretary, MSME, and CEO of Khadi and Gramudyog Board. Vishal Singh, who was promoted as IAS in 2015, and was serving as District Magistrate Bhadohi, will replace him and take charge of all his responsibilities, including as Director of Information and Special Secretary, Culture Department.
Notably, Vishal Singh had served as Vice Chairman of Ayodhya Development Authority from September 2020 to February 2024, which included the period of development work being implemented in Ayodhya surrounding the construction of the Ram Temple.
Also among those transferred were the District Magistrates of Varanasi, Azamgarh, Hapur, Bareilly, Ambedkar Nagar, Ghazipur, Jhansi, Kushinagar, Mahoba, Bhadohi, and Sant Kabir Nagar.
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