IAS officer Vijay Kiran Anand, who was recently the Mela Officer of Prayagraj Mahakumbh, has now been given a new and important responsibility. He has been appointed as the Secretary of the Infrastructure and Industrial Development Department in Uttar Pradesh.

Along with his new post, he will continue to hold the additional charge of Mela Officer for Mahakumbh.

Why Was This Change Made?

This change comes after IAS officer Abhishek Prakash was suspended by the Uttar Pradesh government. After his suspension, LDA VC and ACEO Prathamesh Kumar was given temporary charge of Invest UP, the department that promotes industrial investment in the state.

Why Was Abhishek Prakash Suspended?

On 20 March, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath suspended Abhishek Prakash under the government’s zero tolerance policy against corruption.

• He was working as Secretary of the Industry Department and CEO of Invest UP.
• He was suspended due to his alleged involvement in corruption and fake documents in the Lucknow Defense Expo Land Scam.
• The scam is related to land acquisition for the Defense Corridor in Bhatgaon, Sarojininagar (Lucknow).
• It is believed that there were irregularities in land compensation, leading to the action against him.

Who Is Abhishek Prakash?

• He is a 2006 batch IAS officer.
• He has served as District Magistrate in several districts of Uttar Pradesh.
• He was also the DM of Lucknow for a long period.