A son of Majhaulia village in Bihar's Darbhanga district built a career in the civil services that people in the region still talk about three decades later. Naveen Kumar Chaudhary now serves as Principal Secretary of the PWD department in the Delhi government, but before reaching that post he held demanding administrative charges in Leh-Ladakh and weathered a CBI probe stemming from a controversial case.
Celebrations back in 1994
When the UPSC results came out in May 1994, Naveen Chaudhary had secured the sixth rank at the all-India level. As soon as the news reached Majhaulia, sweets were distributed across the area. Villagers and neighbours say a rank that high, for a local youth, was seen as a rare achievement at the time, and the entire Mithila region took pride in his success.
From the Jammu and Kashmir cadre to Leh-Ladakh
After his rank was announced, Chaudhary opted for the Jammu and Kashmir cadre. There, he held several important posts, including that of Deputy Commissioner, or DC, of Leh-Ladakh. During this period, the then Lieutenant Governor Satya Pal Malik accused him in a case linked to a power project. Given the seriousness of the allegations, the CBI raided several locations, including his home. The investigation, however, did not turn up any evidence against him. The episode came to be seen as politically motivated, and Chaudhary's reputation remained untarnished.
A clean chit, a move to Meghalaya, then a call from Delhi
Once he was cleared in the investigation, his cadre was changed to Meghalaya. Sometime later, the Delhi government brought him over to serve in the capital. His first major assignment there was the cleanup of the Yamuna river, an effort in which he achieved considerable success. That track record is what led to his current posting as Principal Secretary of the PWD department, one of the Delhi government's most significant departments.
The village still takes pride in him
Residents of Majhaulia say Chaudhary becoming an IAS officer brought recognition to the entire village. At the same time, villagers no longer expect a single officer to single-handedly bring development to their village. Even so, Majhaulia continues to take pride in the achievements of its son.
