Principal Secretary (Finance) Rahul Bhatnagar has been appointed the new Chief Secretary. "Singhal has been removed and put on wait list. Principal Secretary (Finance) Rahul Bhatnagar has been made new Chief Secretary," an official spokesman said here.
Bhatnagar is an UP-cadre IAS officer of 1983 batch. Singhal, one year senior to him, had taken charge on July 7, replacing Alok Ranjan who had retired on June 30.
Though no reason was given behind the development, Samajwadi Party insiders said the chief minister was perhaps not happy with him as he had attended a dinner hosted by SP Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh in Delhi which Akhilesh gave a miss. SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and some other top party leaders were peresent at the dinner.
The party insiders said Akhilesh was not very happy with Singhal, considered close to the chief minister's uncle and senior cabinet minister Shivpal Yadav.
Differences of opinion between Akhilesh and Shivpal have been reported on several occasions in the past, including on the choice of official to be appointed as the state's chief secretary after Alok Ranjan's term ended, and the postponement of Qaumi Ekta Dal's merger with SP.