LucknowJul 16, 2025 09:03 IST
First published on: Jul 16, 2025 at 09:03 IST
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The deputation of Indian Railways Stores Services (IRSS) officer Amit Singh, who is currently serving as Secretary to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has been extended till March 31, 2027. The development has created ripples in UP’s political and bureaucratic circles as the extended stint of the CM’s Secretary would coincide with the next UP Assembly elections due in February-March 2027.
Amit Singh, 49, is a 2000-batch IRSS officer. His induction as Special Secretary to the UP CM in 2017 was part of the initial bureaucratic appointments made by Adityanath after becoming the CM for his first term following the BJP’s victory in the then Assembly polls.
Over the last eight years, in one of the most coveted postings in the state bureaucracy, Singh was elevated to the Secretary’s position and became one of the most trusted officers of CM Adityanath, who went on to represent UP at several key forums, including the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
Government sources said Singh first came close to Adityanath during his stint with the North Eastern Railways (NER) headquarters in Gorakhpur, the latter’s home turf. Singh served as the NER’s chief public relations officer (CPRO) as well as secretary to its then General Manager till August 2016.
Later, Singh was sent on deputation to the Ministry of External Affairs, as the Regional Passport Officer in Lucknow. He had served in this post barely for a few months when in April 2017, a month after Adityanath took the helm of the UP government, he was inducted into the CM’s Office (CMO).
In 2023, the Centre extended Singh’s deputation till August 2025. Before the end of his deputation tenure, he has now been given another extension. A statement issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on July 11, 2025 said: “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of Ministry of Railways for extension of deputation tenure of Shri Amit Singh, IRSS (2000) to the State Government of Uttar Pradesh for a period upto 31.3.2027, in relaxation of the policy.”
Sources said that “Singh steered clear of controversies and made his way to the trusted circle of Adityanath by dint of his management skills”. After completing his graduation from the National Institute of Technology, Calicut, he did his M.Tech from the IIT, Mumbai.
In the CMO, his responsibilities include the affairs related to industry and infrastructure development, including expressways, metros, airports, industrial policy, IT and electronics, and tourism.
Sources said Singh is envisaged to play a significant role in the one trillion dollar target set by Adityanath for the UP economy by 2029. He has represented the state’s investment initiatives on various fronts. In 2022, he was part of the UP government’s delegation led by finance minister Suresh Khanna to New York and San Francisco to attract investment. He was part of the government’s delegation to Davos last year, when the state made its debut at the WEF to seek global investment opportunities. He again visited the WEF earlier this year as part of the state’s delegation led by Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh.