After much deliberation, the state administration has finally appointed a secretary for the women empowerment and child development department. The secretary (in charge) of Panchayati Raj department Hari Chandra Semwal has been appointed as secretary in charge of the women and child development department. In other transfers, Manuj Goyal who currently was working as CDO, Almora has been shifted to Rudraprayag as district magistrate (DM) and Rohit Meena, the Managing Director (MD) of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam and deputy chairman of District level Development authority, Nainital has been appointed as CDO of Almora. The former DM of Rudraprayag Vandana Singh who was unceremoniously removed from her position for arriving late in a video conferencing session with Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has been shifted to the position of MD of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam with additional charge of the deputy chairperson of district level development authority, Nainital.
It is pertinent to mention here that the women empowerment and child development department is headless for more than one and half month now. After an unsavoury rift with the State Minister Rekha Arya, secretary Shamugam in the month of September had asked the state government to remove him from the department.
A probe headed by Additional Chief Secretary Manisha Panwar ordered by the CM on the issue. The issue got complicated further when some other officers refused to work under Arya. With the appointment of Semwal things appear sorted now for the department.
