Puja Singhal cleared her civil services exams in 2000 before being posted as the District Collector in Khunti, the district at the centre of the MGNREGA scam. She also served as the Agriculture Secretary in the previous BJP government. She has also served in Chatra, Khunti and Palamu before making her way up to the higher corridors of power in Jharkhand.
As Deputy Commissioner of Palamu, Singhal was accused of transferring nearly 83 acres of land to a private company for mining.
Singhal’s husband Abhishek Jha is the managing director of Pulse Sanjeevani Healthcare Private Hospital.
Social media reacted to discovery of Rs. 19 crore cash and made her trending on the same day.
Pooja Singhal and her husband have kept details about their children away from the public. While her current salary is known, the government’s pay guidelines show that the basic per month salary of an IAS officer starts at Rs.56,100. This does not include allowances such as TA, DA, and HRA and can go on to reach Rs. 2,50,000 for a Cabinet Secretary. With 22 years of service, it’s safe to say that Singhal would be earning the higher end of the salary meant for IAS officers.
