Who is Pragya Richa Shrivastava? Appointed DG of Home Guard Ahead of Women's Congregation

Bhopal, May 30 (NationPress) As preparations ramp up for the grand women empowerment event scheduled for Saturday in Madhya Pradesh's capital, Pragya Richa Shrivastava, an IPS officer from the 1988 batch, has been appointed to a pivotal role as the Director General (DG) of the Home Guard.

This change follows the retirement of Arvind Kumar, also from the 1988 batch, who concluded his service on Friday. The position of Home Guard DG is a cadre role, and a Special DG has been designated to take over responsibilities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address a gathering of nearly 200,000 women during this monumental congregation in Bhopal.

In accordance with the latest directive from the Home Department, Pragya Richa Srivastava, who previously served as the Special DG of Women Security at the Police Headquarters, will now lead the Home Guard Civil Security and Disaster Management.

In addition, Anil Kumar, who currently holds the role of Additional Director General (ADG) for the State Industrial Security Force (SISF) and Police Welfare, will also undertake the responsibilities associated with ADG Women Security at the Police Headquarters.

Furthermore, Chanchal Shekhar, the ADG of Special Armed Forces (SAF), will be taking on additional responsibilities as ADG SISF at the Police Headquarters while maintaining his current duties.

The decision to appoint Srivastava came after extensive discussions, with candidates like Yogesh Mudgal and G. Akheto Sema also considered. While Sema has relevant experience in the Home Guard, Mudgal is approaching retirement in August. Ultimately, Srivastava was chosen for this key leadership position.

Meanwhile, it is anticipated that ADG Dinesh Chandra Sagar will be promoted to Special DG following Arvind Kumar's retirement; however, he will only serve for a month before his own retirement in June. This Friday marks the last day of service for Additional Chief Secretary Vinod Kumar and DG Home Guard Arvind Kumar, with Datia Collector Sandeep Kumar Makin also retiring on the same day. Although their official retirement is on May 31, they will be relieved a day early due to the Saturday holiday.

As of now, the General Administration Department has not issued an order regarding the new Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), but Manish Rastogi is a strong candidate to assume this role shortly. Rastogi, an IAS officer from the 1989 batch, could fill the ACS vacancy in the coming days.

In the hierarchy of IAS seniority, Hariranjan Rao ranks above Rastogi, who serves as the Principal Secretary of the Finance Department. Rao is currently on deputation in Delhi with no clear return plans to Madhya Pradesh. Given this, the General Administration Department may grant Rao a notional promotion, facilitating Rastogi's formal appointment to the ACS position.

In another significant shift, Datia Collector Sandeep Kumar Makin is expected to retire on May 31, leading to the forthcoming appointment of a new officer for the district. This date is particularly noteworthy for Datia, as Prime Minister Modi is set to virtually inaugurate the Datia Airport from Bhopal. Due to these events, Makin may remain in his role until the evening of May 31 or until a successor is officially designated.