Bhopal, Jan 1 (IANS) Retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Manoj Kumar Shrivastava has been appointed as the Madhya Pradesh State Election Commissioner (SEC).
Shrivastava, a retired IAS officer of the 1987 batch will replace outgoing Madhya Pradesh SEC Basant Pratap Singh, whose extension period for the post expired on Tuesday (Dec 31).
The General Administration Department (GAD) of the Madhya Pradesh government issued a notification on Tuesday, stating that “Shrivastava has been appointed as State Election Commissioner for the period of six years or completion of 66 years of age”.
Shrivastava retired in April 2021 from the post of Additional Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh’s Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Department.
He has served in various departments and positions in Madhya Pradesh.
Shrivastava has also served as Indore District Collector and as the Commissioner of Department of Public Relations in the Madhya Pradesh government.
He has been felicitated with the Swami Vivekanand Award and International Aviation Award by the ‘International Council for Cultural Relations and Nehru Centre’, South Banks, London.
Basant Pratap Singh, a 1984 batch (Madhya Pradesh cadre) IAS officer, was appointed as Madhya Pradesh State Election Commissioner on December 31, 2018.
He was due to retire from the post on June 30 this year, however, his tenure was extended for six months.
Singh’s tenure was extended as the state government has not been able to appoint a new commissioner in his place, stating that this period (beyond December 31) will not exceed six months in any case.
Before serving as the State Election Commissioner, Singh was the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh between November 1, 2016 and December 2018.
He had then succeeded former Chief Secretary Anthony de Sa.
–IANS
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