Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has announced the appointment of senior IAS Vijay Kiran Anand (2009 batch) as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Invest UP. In addition, he will serve as the Secretary of the Infrastructure and Industrial Development Department.
He replaces IAS Abhishek Prakash, who was suspended following allegations of seeking commission from a solar power company for investment proposal clearance. Prakash was also serving as Secretary of the same department.
Anand, known for his successful role as Mela Officer during the Mahakumbh, will continue to hold additional charge as Mela Officer, Prayagraj. Apart from his notable role as Mela Adhikari during the Mahakumbh, Anand has earned recognition for his impactful contributions in the education and rural development sectors of Uttar Pradesh. During his tenure in the Basic Education Department, he played a key role in strengthening the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and improving the implementation of the Mid-Day Meal scheme. His brief yet effective term as Mission Director of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) under the Panchayati Raj Department also drew praise for driving sanitation initiatives in rural areas.
Anand has held several important administrative positions, including serving as the District Magistrate of Gorakhpur from July 2021 to June 2022. Earlier, as the District Magistrate of Unnao, he was in the spotlight when the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conducted a much-talked-about excavation in Daundiya Kheda — a search for buried gold inspired by a local seer Shobhan Sarkar’s dream.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, after reviewing the functioning of Invest UP, approved the proposal to restructure the organisation on the lines of a global model investment promotion agency. The government aims to strengthen Invest UP to attract more investments and improve transparency and efficiency in its operations.
