Bihar govt removes home department chief following EC directive

Bihars Additional Chief Secretary Home, S Siddharth, was on Monday removed following a directive of the Election Commission of India, an official release said. According to a notification issued by the General Administration Department GAD, Siddharth will, however, continue to be in charge of the cabinet secretariat department, besides the additional charge of principal secretary to the chief minister.

Bihar's Additional Chief Secretary (Home), S Siddharth, was on Monday removed following a directive of the Election Commission of India, an official release said. According to a notification issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), Siddharth will, however, continue to be in charge of the cabinet secretariat department, besides the additional charge of principal secretary to the chief minister. As per the order, Pranav Kumar, a 2008-batch IAS officer, posted as secretary in the home department, will officiate as its head till further orders.

Earlier in the day, the EC ordered the removal of home secretaries of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The step is a part of the commission's efforts to maintain a level playing field and ensure the integrity of the electoral process.