1978-batch IAS officer Jawed Usmani took charge as Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary on Friday,taking over from his batchmate Anoop Mishra who has been posted as Chairman,Uttar Pradesh State Road Corporation. Usmani was on central deputation for the past eight years and has also served at World Bank for three years as senior adviser to the executive director in Washington DC. Listing his priorities as the new chief secretary,Usmani said that infrastructure development and clean administration in the state would be his priority. Good officers will be encouraged and protected and bad officers taken to task. It will be ensured that there is clean administration in the state, Usmani told The Indian Express. Asked about his definition of bad officers,he said,Bad officers are those who are bad performers and are of poor integrity. It will be ensured that such people feel afraid. He added,Uttar Pradesh is a big and relatively backward state. Thus infrastructure development is a serious issue. There is need to concentrate on developing power infrastructure and at the same time road,bridges,irrigation and drinking water facilities. In the social sector,especially education and health,it will be ensured that all the schemes,be it of central government or state government,are implemented in the proper manner, Usmani also said that he would ensure law and order in the state so that overall environment is conducive to development. Usmani,56,completed his MBA from IIM Ahmedabad in 1976 and Msc in social policy and planning from London School of Economics in 1991. He served as Joint Secretary to Prime Ministers like Deve Gowda,I K Gujral and Atal Bihari Vajpayee and also to Manmohan Singh from 2004-2007. He has also served as Principal Secretary to Mulayam Singh Yadav in 2004 and as special secretary to Mulayam from 1993 to 1995.
