Govt makes key appointments, promotions in bureaucratic rejig
Apurva Chandra, who previously served as information and broadcasting secretary, has been appointed as health and family welfare secretary
The appointments committee of the cabinet, comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah, has approved a clutch of appointments and promotions of senior bureaucrats in various government ministries and departments, the ministry of personnel said in a notification on Saturday.
Apurva Chandra, who previously served as information and broadcasting secretary, has been appointed as health and family welfare secretary. In another key appointment, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu has been appointed as secretary to the Lokpal, the anti-corruption ombudsman, on a contract basis for one year.
Additionally, Raj Kumar Goyal has been appointed as secretary of the department of border management under the home ministry. Niten Chandra, previously serving as legal affairs secretary, has been appointed as secretary of the department of ex-servicemen welfare under the defence ministry.
K Moses Chalai, earlier secretary of the North Eastern Council Secretariat, has been appointed as secretary of the Inter State Council Secretariat under the home ministry. Anil Malik has been appointed as an officer on special duty at the women and child development ministry, with subsequent elevation to the position of secretary on February 29. Sumita Dawra has been appointed officer on special duty at the labour ministry, with subsequent elevation to secretary on February 29.
Additionally, Vijay Kumar, special secretary in the ministry of cooperation, has been appointed as chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India. Ashish Kumar Bhutani and Sanjay Jaju have been appointed as secretaries of the ministries of cooperation and information and broadcasting, respectively.
The committee also approved upgradation of several officers to the level of special secretary with the rank and pay of secretary as “a measure personal to them by temporarily upgrading the posts held by them”. They include P Daniel as secretary of the Central Vigilance Commission, Rashmi Chowdhary as secretary at the Central Information Commission, A Neeraja as additional secretary at the department of fertilizer and Shyam Bhagat Negi as special secretary at the Cabinet Secretariat.
Additionally, Reeta Vasishta has been appointed as member secretary of the 22nd Law Commission, subject to the outcome of certain pending cases in the Delhi high court.
