Highlights of the Bihar Cabinet reshuffle on Saturday include the appointment of Alok Mehta as the new Education Minister, replacing Professor Chandra Shekhar. Additionally, Lalit Yadav has been given the additional responsibility of the Revenue Department. These appointments have sparked discussions, especially regarding the transfer of Chandra Shekhar on January 20. It is noteworthy that the Additional Chief Secretary of the Bihar Education Department, KK Pathak, returned to work on Saturday after an extended leave, leading to speculation that Chandra Shekhar’s transfer did not take place due to a dispute with Pathak.
Meanwhile, K.K. Pathak’s return to work has coincided with Education Minister Chandra Shekhar’s transfer. Pathak had been on an extended leave, and there were disputes between him and Chandra Shekhar, which resulted in officials going on leave. The ongoing dispute between them has prevented the Education Minister from visiting his department. It is said that K.K. Pathak is one of the officers favored by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Reports of a strained relationship between Chandra Shekhar and Pathak have been circulating since Chandra Shekhar took charge of the ACS in the Bihar Education Department in June 2023.
On the other hand, as soon as K.K. Pathak returned to work, Education Minister Chandra Shekhar once again took action. He issued an order immediately revoking the closure of schools in various districts of Bihar due to the extreme cold. Chandra Shekhar stated that the tradition of closing schools should be stopped. District Magistrates are not authorized to issue any orders without the permission of the Education Department.
It is worth mentioning that Chandra Shekhar has also been in the headlines for his controversial statements on religious issues. He has made several statements regarding temples that have stirred up controversy and received criticism. Recently, he stated that “temples are a path of slavery.” This statement also received significant criticism. Amidst such controversial statements and the strained relationship between Chandra Shekhar and K.K. Pathak, this transfer is being seen as a major action by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
नीतीश कुमार की बिहार कैबिनेट में हुए बदलाव के तहत अब बिहार के शिक्षा मंत्री की जिम्मेदारी आलोक मेहता को सौंपी गई है। इसके साथ ही, शिक्षा विभाग के अपर मुख्य सचिव केके पाठक भी काम पर लौटे हैं। बिहार में चर्चा का विषय बने चंद्रशेखर का ट्रांसफर अभी नहीं हुआ है। इसके अलावा केके पाठक ने ठंड के कारण स्कूलों को बंद करने के आदेश पर सवाल उठाते हुए उन्हें वापस लेने का आदेश दिया है। चंद्रशेखर पहले ही विवादित बयानों के चलते चर्चा में रह चुके हैं। यह ट्रांसफर नीतीश कुमार का एक्शन माना जा रहा है।
