Bihar BAS officer Pritam Kumar removed as Tejashwi Yadav's PS, sent on central deputation
Synopsis
Bihar has transferred BAS officer Pritam Kumar — who served as Tejashwi Yadav's Personal Secretary through two political phases — to NHIDCL in New Delhi on central deputation. With no replacement named, the move spotlights a quiet but pointed pattern of Bihar officers being redeployed away from key opposition offices.
Key Takeaways
BAS officer Pritam Kumar has been removed as Personal Secretary to Tejashwi Yadav and sent on central deputation effective 9 July .
He has been appointed Deputy General Manager (Human Resources and Administration) at NHIDCL under the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Kumar was first assigned as Yadav's government-appointed PS in February 2022 , when Yadav was Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar .
He continued in the role after Yadav became Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly .
The Bihar government has not announced a replacement; the opposition office's administrative support remains vacant.
The transfer is part of a broader trend of Bihar IAS, IPS, and state service officers being sent on central deputation to Union government bodies.
Bihar Administrative Service (BAS) officer Pritam Kumar has been transferred from his role as Personal Secretary to Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav and sent on central deputation to New Delhi, the Bihar government confirmed on Thursday, 9 July. The move is part of a broader wave of Bihar government officers being deputed to Central government organisations.
New Assignment and Official Order
According to a notification issued by the General Administration Department, Pritam Kumar has been deputed to the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), under the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. He has been appointed as Deputy General Manager (Human Resources and Administration) at the corporation and directed to report to his new posting in New Delhi immediately upon the notification's issuance.
Background: A Role Spanning Two Political Phases
Pritam Kumar was first appointed as government-assigned Personal Secretary to Tejashwi Yadav in February 2022, following a reshuffle of several BAS and Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers. At the time, he had been awaiting a posting before being assigned to assist Yadav, who was then serving as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar. Following subsequent political changes in the state, Kumar continued in the same role when Yadav transitioned to the position of Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly.
What This Means for Tejashwi Yadav's Office
The position of Leader of the Opposition in Bihar carries Cabinet rank under state government provisions, and the office is authorised to have a government-appointed Personal Secretary to support official and administrative functions. As of the notification, the Bihar government has not announced a replacement for Pritam Kumar in that capacity. The vacancy leaves a gap in the administrative support structure of one of the state's most prominent opposition offices.
Part of a Larger Deputation Trend
This transfer is not an isolated instance. Several IAS, IPS, and other state service officers from Bihar have recently been sent on central deputation to various Union government departments and public sector undertakings. Critics and political observers have noted the pattern, though the government has not offered a specific rationale beyond routine administrative redeployment. Notably, the timing — with Tejashwi Yadav heading the principal opposition bloc in the state — has drawn attention to the optics of the move.
What Happens Next
The Bihar government is expected to announce a fresh appointment as Personal Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition in due course, though no timeline has been indicated. Political circles in Patna will watch whether the replacement is made promptly or whether the vacancy is allowed to persist, which could affect the administrative functioning of Yadav's official office.
Point of View
But the timing and pattern deserve scrutiny. Bihar has been steadily moving state service officers — including those attached to opposition offices — onto central deputation, and the government has offered no detailed rationale. For Tejashwi Yadav's office, losing a PS who had institutional continuity across two political phases is a non-trivial disruption. The absence of a named replacement amplifies that signal. Whether this is standard bureaucratic churn or a deliberate thinning of administrative resources available to the principal opposition leader is a question Bihar's political class is already asking.
NationPress
9 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Pritam Kumar removed as Tejashwi Yadav's Personal Secretary?
Pritam Kumar was not dismissed but transferred on central deputation as part of a routine administrative redeployment by the Bihar government. He has been posted as Deputy General Manager (Human Resources and Administration) at NHIDCL under the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Who is Pritam Kumar and what was his role?
Pritam Kumar is a Bihar Administrative Service (BAS) officer who served as the government-appointed Personal Secretary to Tejashwi Yadav since February 2022 — first when Yadav was Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, and later when he became Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly.
What is NHIDCL, where Pritam Kumar has been posted?
NHIDCL stands for National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, a public sector undertaking under the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Pritam Kumar has been appointed Deputy General Manager (Human Resources and Administration) there.
Who will replace Pritam Kumar as Tejashwi Yadav's Personal Secretary?
As of the notification issued on 9 July, the Bihar government has not announced a replacement for Pritam Kumar. The Leader of the Opposition's office is currently without a government-appointed Personal Secretary.
Is this transfer part of a larger trend in Bihar?
Yes. Several IAS, IPS, and other state service officers from Bihar have recently been sent on central deputation to various Union government departments and public sector organisations. The Pritam Kumar transfer is the latest in this series.
