Deepak Kumar, another member in Nitish’s kitchen cabinet

Patna,(BiharTimes): Instead of ministers, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is increasingly relying on bureaucrats and ex-bureaucrats.

The appointment of Deepak Kumar as the Officer on Special Duty in Chief Minister secretariat is another such example.

Earlier, Nitish sent a couple of former IAS officers to Rajya Sabha. Retired Union Revenue Secretary N K Singh was elected for the Upper House on Janata Dal (United) ticket to be followed by R C P Singh, who was still in service.

Then he made agriculture expert Mangla Rai as the Agriculture Advisor to be followed by the appointment of Pawan Kumar Verma as the Cultural Advisor. He was also a serving diplomat––ambassador in Bhutan––who resigned to join the Nitish camp. 

Mangla had served Nitish when he was Union Minister of State for Agriculture in the V P Singh cabinet in 1990. 
Then the retired Union Home Secretary, Raj Kumar Singh, was made the Infrastructure Secretary.

Now he had made Deepak Kumar, who went on central deputation only in January last, as OSD. 

Before leaving Bihar Deepak, a 1984-batch IAS officer, was holding the post of Principal Secretary of the General Administration Department and also looking after the Right to Public Service Act (RTPS), which functions under Bihar Administrative Reforms Mission Society. 

Deepak served as Secretary of the Health Department from 2005 to 2008. He was shifted to the Urban and Housing Department where he served till October 2009. He was assigned as Secretary of the Tourism Department till January 27 last before going on central deputation. 

Before that Nitish brought P K Rai and made him as chairman of the then Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB). Rai, who had served Railway Minister Nitish is now Advisor Energy.

But the chief minister had not yet expanded his cabinet though he sacked 11 BJP ministers on June 16 last. He holds all the important portfolios with him.

With parliament election around the corner and Assembly election two years from now Nitish is increasingly trusting the bureaucrats and technocrats rather than politicians.

Reports suggest that another top ranking IAS officer from central deputation is likely to be brought in the near future. “The officer has been tipped for an important assignment. He is set to return to his parent cadre shortly, though his tenure has not completed.