Uttar Pradesh government issues directives for Kanwar Yatra: No open meat sale
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Hindustan Times
39 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
New Uttar Pradesh chief secretary is Yogi's trusted officer, has weathered diverse political climates
Known as a trusted officer of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, newly appointed Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Shashi Prakash Goyal has navigated the turbulence of political regimes of different shades in Uttar Pradesh with ease during the course of his 36-year-long career as a bureaucrat. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath with newly appointed chief secretary Shashi Prakash Goyal. (HT) Having led the CM's secretariat for over eight years, the 1989-batch IAS officer has been the 'eyes and ears' of the chief minister while keeping a close watch on the state bureaucracy and discharging his duties without seeking public attention. From 1996 to 2002, with the BJP in power in Uttar Pradesh for most of this period, Goyal was posted as the district magistrate of Deoria, Mathura and Etawah. The fact that he remained in the good books of political parties and leaders of different ideologies could be gauged from the fact that when the Samajwadi Party came to power in 2003, he was posted as DM of an important district like Prayagraj (then Allahabad). He also served as additional CEO, Greater NOIDA, Aligarh DM, commissioner NCR and staff officer to the UP chief secretary under the SP government. In 2007, when the Samajwadi Party lost power to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), it seemed that Goyal may be shunted to an insignificant post but he maintained his clout and was posted as principal staff officer to cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh, considered the right-hand man of the then chief minister Mayawati. Remaining on the post for five years, he was a bridge between the bureaucracy and the government. In 2012, when the Samajwadi Party regained power with Akhilesh Yadav as CM, Goyal was given key assignments in the planning, irrigation, cooperative and programme Implementation departments. A senior IAS officer said SP Goyal also maintained cordial relations with the central bureaucracy. When the BJP came to power in 2014 at Centre, he went on central deputation as joint secretary in the department of higher education in the ministry of human resources development. After a three-year central deputation, he returned to Uttar Pradesh in May 2017, about two months after the BJP government came to power when CM Yogi Adityanath was looking for an officer known for hard work, dedication and honesty to handle affairs in the chief minister's office. He zeroed in on SP Goyal who was on the waitlist. On May 19, 2017, Goyal was made principal secretary to the chief minister. He was allotted key departments like civil aviation, estate, protocol as well as additional resident commissioner. During his tenure in the CM's office, Goyal was the bridge between the central and state governments, ensuring the central and state government schemes were launched successfully. He also played an important role in the organisation of the Global Investor Summit and Ground Breaking ceremonies. During his tenure in the CM office, Goyal played an important role in the transfer and posting of officers in the districts as well as in the various state government departments. Yogi Adityanath rewarded Goyal with the top post in the state bureaucracy after Manoj Kumar Singh's retirement on Thursday. Goyal is likely to continue on the post till his retirement in 2027. SP Goyal had secured All India Rank 1 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 1989. GOYAL OUTLINES HIS PRIORITIES After taking charge, newly appointed chief secretary Shashi Prakash Goyal on Thursday said his priorities include zero tolerance toward crime and corruption and turning Uttar Pradesh into a trillion- dollar economy. Stating that chief minister Yogi Adityanath's priorities will be his priority, he said he will work for the development of the state and welfare of the masses.
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Tulsidas defied Akbar not with sword but through Ramleela, says Yogi Adityanath
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said that while many kingdoms bowed before the might of foreign powers, it was spiritual personalities like Tulsidas who chose the path of silent resistance during turbulent chapters in India's history. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath during Tulsi Jayanti celebrations in Chitrakoot on Thursday. (PTI PHOTO) He also reaffirmed his government's commitment to the cultural revival and economic uplift of Bundelkhand, asserting that Chitrakoot would be developed into a hub of faith, safety and self-reliance. He reiterated plans for expressways, riverfront development, and religious tourism circuits intended to link heritage with livelihood in the region. The chief minister was addressing gatherings during Tulsi Jayanti celebrations and the Tulsi Sahitya Sammelan in Chitrakoot. 'Several kingdoms surrendered before him (Akbar), but there were those who, without pausing or yielding, kept illuminating the world through bhakti. Tulsidas stood among them,' he said. 'Who does not know that Akbar maintained a soft face for the public, but behind it lay cruelty. That same face of oppression can still be seen today,' Adityanath said. 'Yet even in those times, our saints challenged tyranny—not with swords, but by bringing Ramleela into every household. That was Tulsidas's way of resistance.' 'While Akbar's court lured poets and scholars into its fold, Rambola, later known as Tulsidas, refused to serve any king. He dedicated his life solely to Lord Ram,' the chief minister said. He stressed that the Ramcharitmanas, authored by Tulsidas, was not merely a spiritual epic but a civilisational document that reinforced India's cultural and moral compass during a period of political instability and external rule. Recalling his visit to Mauritius in 2017, Yogi Adityanath spoke about the spiritual resilience of the Indian diaspora during colonial rule. 'When our ancestors were taken abroad as indentured labourers, they carried with them no wealth or status—only the verses of the Ramcharitmanas. It was their source of solace and cultural survival,' he said. 'Today, their descendants lead nations, yet the Manas has remained central to their lives.' Chitrakoot, the site of the Tulsi Jayanti celebrations, holds particular significance as the place where Lord Ram is believed to have spent a major portion of his exile. 'This land was once home to sages and seers. It nourished the roots of the Ramayan and the Ramcharitmanas,' Adityanath said. He lauded the contributions of Jagadguru Rambhadracharya and Ramkatha exponent Murari Bapu, both present at the event, for their continued efforts to keep Tulsidas's legacy alive. The chief minister conferred the Tulsi Award and Ratnavali Award on the Ramkatha narrators. 'This recognition is not just ceremonial, it's a salute to those who uphold the values of Sanatan Dharma,' he said. He also criticised those who seek to manufacture controversy around spiritual leaders. 'Those who live in the shadow of their own irrelevance attempt to defame what they cannot comprehend. We must not let such distractions divide us,' he said. He urged all sections of the society to remain united in protecting India's civilisational heritage. He also visited Rajapur, birthplace of Goswami Tulsidas, paid his respects at Tulsi Janmkutir and viewed the original handwritten manuscript of the Ramcharitmanas, preserved at the Manas temple. Adityanath also unveiled a statue of Tulsidas at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Ganiwan, participated in plantation drives and held interactions with children at a local ashram school. He also toured agriculture exhibitions.
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
No extension to Manoj Kumar Singh, Shashi Prakash Goyal takes charge as new Uttar Pradesh chief secretary
Ending uncertainty over the state's top bureaucratic post, Shashi Prakash Goyal, a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, was appointed the new chief secretary on Thursday and took charge of the assignment, putting at rest speculation over service extension to Manoj Kumar Singh, a 1988-batch IAS officer, who retired on the day as there was no response from the Centre to the state government's request to give him a longer innings. Newly appointed Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Shashi Prakash Goyal being greeted by his predecessor Manoj Kumar Singh in Lucknow on Thursday. (Deepak Gupta/Hindustan Times) Goyal, who was serving as additional chief secretary to the chief minister, led the CM's secretariat for over eight years and is considered close to Yogi Adityanath. With Goyal's appointment as chief secretary, Sanjay Prasad will now lead the CM's secretariat as principal secretary. He worked with Goyal as principal secretary to chief minister, protocol, home, confidential, VISA passports, vigilance and information. Prasad now gets charge of government estates and civil aviation departments as well. Goyal, who has held various important posts in the state government and at the Centre, took charge of his new office soon after his appointment to the top post of the UP's bureaucracy. Over the past few days, the state government waited for the Centre's response on extension in service to Singh. The request was sent about a fortnight ago. Even as the wait continued till the end of the working day on Thursday, Singh was seen meeting visitors in office and left at about 4.30 pm when the hopes for the Centre's nod to the state government's request dimmed. Later in the evening, he handed over charge to Goyal. 'I had a very good and satisfying one-year tenure as chief secretary and a 37-year career in the IAS. Several important decisions were taken during the period. I extend my best wishes to the new incumbent. Uttar Pradesh is an excellent cadre and has seen transformative changes under the leadership of chief minister Yogi Adityanath in the past eight years,' Singh said. Following installation of the Yogi Adityanath government in 2017, Goyal was appointed as principal secretary to the chief minister and helmed the CM's secretariat ever since. Goyal's name figured on top of the 1989 batch of the IAS. He was considered a front-runner to the post of chief secretary. Union secretary, department of agriculture and farmer's welfare, Devesh Chaturvedi and UP's agriculture production commissioner Deepak Kumar also appeared to be in the race for the top post. Goyal also becomes the infrastructure and industrial development commissioner and gets charge of the coordination department. He also becomes the chairman of PICUP, CEO of UPEIDA (Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority) and UPSHA (Uttar Pradesh State Highways Authority) and project director of UPDASP (Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agriculture Support Project).
