AGARTALA: In what appears to be a big reshuffle, Tripura chief secretary Kumar Alok has been transferred from the top post and posted as Director of State Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (SIPARD) located in the suburbs of Agartala city.

Senior IAS officer of 1996 batch JK Sinha will take charge as Tripura chief secretary.

Alok is a senior IAS officer of 1990 batch.

Alok’s “removal” came close in the heels of Chief Minister Manik Saha’s oath taking as the member of Tripura Legislative Assembly.

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The Chief Secretary did not attend the swearing ceremony, raising many eyebrows.

Earlier as well, local media reported on Alok’s growing distance with newly elected Chief Minister Manik Saha and his new cabinet.

Removing the top official is Saha’s first big reshuffle in the administration and certainly gives an indication that he will effect a rejig in the administration to handpick his own team of officials.