Noida, June 30 -- The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday appointed Rakesh Kumar Singh II, a 2009-batch promotee IAS officer, as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) and Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) in a bureaucratic reshuffle, officials said. NIAL is the state-run body overseeing the construction of the Noida International Airport at Jewar. Singh, who was serving as secretary to chief minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow, replaces Arun Vir Singh, a 2005-batch promotee IAS officer, who held the dual CEO position since August 17, 2015. The reshuffle, confirmed by a top UP government official, involved seven officers. "RK Singh II was working as a secretary to UP CM, and now he will take charge as CEO of Yeida and NIAL, which are important state government bodies," the official said. RK Singh's appointment is seen as a strategic move, with officials citing his prior experience as additional CEO of Yeida as a key reason. Singh has also served as district magistrate of Ghaziabad and Kanpur. On January 30, 2024, he was posted to Kanpur after being transferred from Ghaziabad, where he had served as DM and vice-chairperson of the Ghaziabad Development Authority since 2021. He was appointed as secretary to the chief minister on January 17, 2025. With the Noida airport project nearing completion and expected to become operational within two months, Singh's appointment comes at a critical juncture. "The new CEO will have the responsibility to make sure the airport project gets completed on time without any delay," said a senior official. Arun Vir Singh, who retired in 2019, had received seven extensions to continue heading Yeida and NIAL. "He was retained as CEO as the Noida airport project took shape under his leadership," said officials. However, no further extension was granted beyond his current term ending June 30, 2025. During his tenure, Arun Vir Singh oversaw major infrastructure projects including the Noida airport, Medical Device Park, Film City, Electronic Manufacturing Cluster, Apparel Park, and Patanjali Food Park....