Key departments get new heads in bureaucratic rejig
An order, issued by the department of personnel and training (DoPT), said that the appointments committee of the cabinet (ACC) approved the appointments and transfers of 18 senior bureaucrats.
Senior IAS officer Arvind Shrivastava was on Friday appointed the new revenue secretary as part of a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre.
An order, issued by the department of personnel and training (DoPT), said that the appointments committee of the cabinet (ACC) approved the appointments and transfers of 18 senior bureaucrats.
Shrivastava, a 1994-batch Karnataka cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, is currently working as the additional secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
“The appointments committee of the cabinet (ACC) has approved Arvind Shrivastava’s appointment as secretary, department of revenue, ministry of finance,” the order said.
The current civil aviation secretary, Vumlunmang Vualnam, who is a 1992-batch Manipur cadre officer, has been appointed as the secretary in the department of expenditure in the ministry of finance, replacing Manoj Govil upon his appointment as secretary (coordination), cabinet secretariat.
Another officer of the Manipur cadre, K Moses Chalai of the 1990 batch has been appointed secretary, department of public enterprises, also in the ministry of finance. Chalai was secretary, inter-state council secretariat in the ministry of home affairs.
Samir Kumar Sinha, of the 1994 batch, who was additional secretary and director general (acquisition) in the department of defence as secretary, has been appointed the new civil aviation secretary.
Another additional secretary in the PMO, Hari Ranjan Rao, a 1994-batch Madhya Pradesh cadre officer has been appointed secretary in department of sports, ministry of youth affairs and sports. Rao will take charge after the superannuation of the current secretary on June 30.
Vivek Aggarwal, a 1994-batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed the secretary, ministry of culture, while Vandana Gurnani, a 1991-batch Karnataka cadre officer, who was secretary (coordination), cabinet secretariat, has been appointed the secretary, ministry of labour and employment. The new culture secretary, Aggarwal, was additional secretary in the finance ministry’s department of revenue.
According to the ACC order, another senior IAS officer, Anurada Thakur will take over as secretary, department of economic affairs, ministry of finance after the superannuation of the current secretary on June 30. Thakur, 1994-batch officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, currently the additional secretary in the ministry of corporate affairs has been appointed as officer on special duty, in the finance ministry’s department of economic affairs, until her taking over as the secretary in June.
Similarly, Nidhi Chhibber, IAS (CG:94), additional secretary, NITI Aayog too has been appointed as officer on special duty, in the ministry of food processing industries until her taking charge as the secretary of the ministry in May 31.
The ACC order said that Santosh Kumar Sarangi, has been appointed secretary, ministry of new and renewable energy. Sarangi, a 1994-batch IAS officer, was posted as director general, directorate general of foreign trade in the ministry of commerce and industry.
Another appointment mentioned in the DOPT order said, “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the following appointments. Meeta R. Lochan, IAS (MH:90), Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as Secretary, National Commission for Backward Classes, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.”
Lochan will take charge upon the superannuation of the current secretary, A Neerraja, an IFoS officer.
