Anand Bardhan on Monday took charge as the new chief secretary of Uttarakhand.
His predecessor Radha Raturi, whose extended tenure ended on Monday, handed over charge to Bardhan at the state secretariat here.
Raturi was Uttarakhand's first woman chief secretary.
A 1992-batch IAS officer, Bardhan held several key positions in the state in his 33-year career.
Soon after taking charge, Bardhan said successful implementation of the government's policies, livelihood, employment, skill development and reverse migration will be among his major priorities.
Working on new livelihood opportunities and developing infrastructure are very important for the progress of the state, Bardhan said.
"We also have to work continuously to improve health services. Water conservation is also a big issue as the whole world is facing water crisis. There is a need to do effective work on the ground in the interest of the common citizen on these main issues," Bardhan said.