CHANDIGARH: Within hours of assuming office, the Congress government in Punjab on Thursday ordered transfers and postings of 12 top bureaucrats, appointing 1984-batch IAS officer Karan Avtar Singh as the new Chief Secretary.

The new Chief Secretary -- who assumed charge on Thursday - replaces 1982-batch IAS officer Sarvesh Kaushal.

Kaushal has been made Special Chief Secretary-cum-Director General of Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration.

The new Chief Secretary will also act as Principal Secretary of the Departments of Personnel, General Administration and Vigilance as well as Investment Promotion.

Supreme Court lawyer Atul Nanda was appointed the new state Advocate General.

Himmat Singh has been posted as Special Chief Secretary, Horticulture, apart from Special Principal Secretary, Forests and Wildlife.

Karanbir Singh Sidhu has been posted as Special Chief Secretary, Revenue and Rehabilitation, and Irrigation, a state government spokesman said here.

Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi has been posted as Additional Chief Secretary, Home Affairs and Justice.

He will also look after Agriculture and Removal of Grievances Departments. Kalsi will also be the Principal Resident Commissioner (Investment Promotion and Industrial Liaison) at Punjab Bhavan, New Delhi, and Additional Chief Secretary, Governance Reforms.

Satish Chandra has been posted as Additional Chief Secretary, Finance and Cooperation.

Tejveer Singh has been posted as Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and Secretary, Information and Public Relations, and Secretary, Civil Aviation.

S.K. Sandhu has been posted as Additional Chief Secretary Social Security and Women and Children Development.

Anurag Agarwal has been posted as Financial Commissioner, Taxation.

Raji P. Shrivastava has been posted as Director, Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration.

Vivek Pratap Singh has been posted as Excise and Taxation Commissioner.

Krishan Kumar has been posted as Secretary, Expenditure (Department of Finance), and Secretary, Personnel.