Anirudh Tiwari is new Punjab chief secretary

Tiwari replaces Vini Mahajan; change was in the offing since the time Capt Amarinder Singh resigned as the CM and his detractors got the reins of the Punjab government

Anirudh Tiwari will be the new chief secretary of Punjab.

Anirudh Tiwari (in pic) replaces Vini Mahajan as the Punjab chief secretary. Chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi approved his name for the top bureaucratic position in the state. (HT file photo)

Chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi has approved his name for the top bureaucratic position in the state and the formal orders will be issued soon.

A 1990-batch IAS officer, Tiwari comes in place of Vini Mahajan after the change of guard in the state.

Mahajan, a 1987-batch IAS officer, was appointed to the top bureaucratic post by the previous Capt Amarinder Singh government.

The change was in the offing since the time Capt Amarinder Singh resigned as the chief minister and his detractors got the reins of the Punjab government.

Tiwari has also been given the charge of principal secretary, personnel and vigilance, in addition to his present duties that include financial commissioner, development; principal secretary, food processing, governance reforms and public grievances, reads the order.

Mahajan’s posting orders will be issued later.

Varun Roojam has been appointed special principal secretary to deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. He is a 2004-batch IAS officer.

Initially, 1988-batch IAS officer Ravneet Kaur’s name was also doing the rounds for the top bureaucratic post of the state.