Former Home Secretary Joins Team Nitish

Former home secretary joins Team Nitish
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Published: 22:52 BST, 15 August 2013 | Updated: 22:52 BST, 15 August 2013
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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is all set to have a new adviser in his core team: former Union home secretary R.K.

Singh.

The 1975-batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre, who retired on June 30, will now advise the chief minister on matters related to infrastructure development.


Sources in the chief minister's secretariat said a notification in this regard is likely to be issued within a week.
Singh will enjoy the rank of a minister.

Growing team: Former home secretary R.K.

Singh (left) will serve as infrastructure adviser to Nitish Kumar


The former bureaucrat, who once arrested BJP veteran L.K. Advani and halted his nationwide rath yatra at Samastipur at the directive of the then Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad, will now offer his advice to Nitish on matters including road development, rural work, building construction, etc.




Prior to his Central deputation, https://telegra.ph/Rath-Yatra-Rituals-06-29 Singh had earned laurels as the principal secretary in the road construction department. He had also been entrusted with the task of overseeing the relief and rescue operations during the devastating Kosi floods in 2008.

This is the first time an adviser on infrastructure development has been appointed in the state.


Earlier this year, Nitish had appointed former diplomat-cum-author Pavan Kumar Varma as his cultural adviser.

He also roped in former director general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Dr Mangla Rai as his adviser on agriculture. 

Singh, who had an eventful tenure as the Union home secretary, recently visited his native place in Supaul district.
He is understood to have accepted Nitish's offer.


His appointment comes at a time when Nitish has launched a slew of mega infrastructure projects across the state. Apart from work on state highways and bridges, his government has resolved to link all villages with a population of 250 and above to the nearest macadamised roads.




The state government is also constructing a state-of-the art, international Bihar museum, besides a huge convention centre in the heart of Patna. It has already initiated work for constructing its own 'Marine Drive' - a Rs 3100-crore riverfront expressway - along the 21-km stretch of the Ganga in the state capital.



Moreover, it is building duplex bungalows for all 323 legislators after razing their existing official quarters. Sources in the ruling Janata Dal(United) said the possibility of Singh formally joining politics could not be ruled out in future.

After its split with the BJP, the party needs good candidates ahead of the next Lok Sabha elections.

In 2010, Nitish had fielded RCP Singh, a UP-cadre IAS officer, in the Rajya Sabha election. He has since been elevated as the party's national general secretary.