Lucknow, July 31 (NationPress) Concluding a period of uncertainty, the Uttar Pradesh Government has designated Shashi Prakash Goyal, a 1989-batch IAS officer, as the new Chief Secretary of the state. Goyal officially took over his duties upon arriving at the secretariat on Thursday evening. The outgoing Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, whose term ends today, was present for the transition alongside other senior officials.

This appointment clarifies the situation after weeks of speculation, particularly since the state government had reached out to the Centre earlier in July, requesting a one-year extension for Singh. However, unlike his predecessors Anup Chandra Pandey and Durga Shankar Mishra, both of whom received extensions, Singh’s appeal was not granted.

Goyal's name had been circulating for days, and the official announcement resolved the bureaucratic tension that had enveloped the state.

Prior to this role, he served as the Additional Chief Secretary to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Goyal is recognized as one of the CM's most reliable officers and has been instrumental in the Chief Minister's Office since the start of Yogi's first term.

While in his previous position, Goyal managed significant portfolios, including Civil Aviation, State Property, and Protocol. Now, as Chief Secretary, he will also oversee critical roles such as Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner (IIDC), Additional Chief Secretary Coordination Department, Chairman of PICUP, CEO of UPEIDA and UPSHA, and Director of UPDASP.

In the meantime, the responsibilities for Civil Aviation and State Property have been assigned to Principal Secretary (Home and Information) Sanjay Prasad.

The state's bureaucratic structure remained tense throughout Thursday, anticipating a last-minute approval from the Centre, similar to past occurrences. With no communication by evening, the government proceeded with Goyal's appointment.