Bihar re-inducts suspended IAS Sanjeev Hans in new reshuffle

Hans’ rejoining of the services on the new post was notified by the general administrative department (GAD), along with shuffle and additional charges allotted to 16 other senior IAS officers

Within weeks of his suspension being revoked, 1997-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Sanjeev Hans, who served term i judicial custody for being accused in a multi-crore money laundering case and was also accused of gang-rape, was posted as additional member of the Board of Revenue on Tuesday. He is part of an IAS reshuffle that has seen 16 officers rejigged in the state.

Bihar re-inducts suspended IAS Sanjeev Hans in new reshuffle

Hans’ rejoining of the services on the new post was notified by the general administrative department (GAD), along with shuffle and additional charges allotted to 16 other senior IAS officers.

Sanjeev Hans was earlier posted as the principal secretary in the energy department when he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in October 2024 on allegations of money laundering and corruption linked to irregularities during his tenure overseeing power sector tenders.

He was under judicial custody for about 10 months. During this period, he was completely removed from administrative duties.

In October 2025, the Patna high court granted conditional him bail.

Officials said that the decision to revoke his suspension and reinstate his service reflects ongoing legal developments, though the case remains under investigation.

In another important shuffle, a 1995-batch officer N Vijaya Lakshmi has been shifted to the planning and development department as its new additional chief secretary (ACS). There, she will be overseeing the state’s economic roadmap and infrastructure projects. She brings extensive experience from previous posting in the animal husbandry department.

K. Senthil Kumar, a 1996-batch officer known for his technical background in engineering, has been named the new principal secretary of the sugarcane industries department. This shift aims to boost the government’s bid to revitalise the sugarcane sector, which plays a pivotal role in rural economies and ethanol production initiatives.

The reshuffle has also affected the change of guards in the rural and agricultural portfolios as well. Pankaj Kumar (1997 batch) will be joining the rural development department as its principal secretary of the rural development department, replacing Lokesh Kumar Singh. Singh has been moved to the health department as its new secretary.

Narmdeshwar Lal (1998-batch), currently posted with the sugarcane industries department, will be joining as the new principal secretary of the agriculture department, where priorities include boosting farmer incomes and modernising the farm sector. Vinay Kumar (1999-batch officer) has been appointed principal secretary of the urban development and housing department (UDHD), replacing Sandeep Kumar R Pudkalkatti, who has been transferred to the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes welfare department as its secretary.

Vinay Kumar was waiting for his posting for the last few weeks.

Divisional commissioners also saw changes: Prem Singh Meena is the new commissioner of Munger division, Manish Kumar shifted to Saran division and Girivar Dayal Singh has been asked to take over as new commissioner of Tirhut division. These postings are expected to strengthen oversight in flood-prone and agriculturally rich areas.

Government insiders describe the transfers as a strategic realignment to align experienced officers with priority sectors ahead of the upcoming budget session and ongoing development programs.

Officials said that the latest reshuffles were aimed at addressing administrative bottlenecks and responding to evolving policy needs after the assembly elections. The transfer has been effected to maintain momentum in governance, especially as the state has been grappling with challenges like migration, flooding and economic diversification.