Aizawl, Nov 27 (IANS): Senior IAS officer Khilli Ram Meena, who will take charge as the new Chief Secretary of Mizoram on Thursday, made a courtesy call to Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Wednesday evening.

Officials said that Meena, a 1993-batch IAS officer of Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, would take charge from acting Chief Secretary H. Lalengmawia, a 2005-batch IAS officer.

Meena succeeds Renu Sharma, who retired on October 31.

According to a Mizoram government official, Meena, before his new assignment, was serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

Born on December 4, 1967, in Rajasthan, Meena holds a master's degree in history and joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1993.

The Mizoram government had earlier requested the Centre to appoint Vumlunmang Vualnam, a 1992 batch IAS officer of the Manipur cadre and currently the Civil Aviation Secretary, as the state's Chief Secretary.

Chief Minister Lalduhoma during his recent visit to New Delhi, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to ask him to relieve Vualnam to replace Renu Sharma. Vualnam has earlier held several important positions within the Central government, including as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Company Affairs. Vualnam has also served in various key roles in the Manipur government and was an advisor to the executive director at the World Bank before he was appointed Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation in August 2023.

However, the MHA reportedly declined the request and appointed Meena to the post.

The Chief Minister earlier appreciated the performance of the former Chief Secretary Renu Sharma, a 1988 batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre.