As part of the first senior bureaucratic reshuffle in the Modi government’s second term, Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg has been transferred to the Power Ministry. Atanu Chakraborty, who is currently Secretary of Department of Investment and Public Asset Management, will become the Economic Affairs Secretary.
In a notification late on Wednesday evening, the government reshuffled top bureaucrats across twelve ministries, departments and agencies. The posts of secretaries of Finance, Power, Telecommunications, Parliamentary Affairs, Textiles and a few others will see new names.
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Garg will become the Power Secretary, replacing Ajay Kumar Bhalla, who will become an Officer on Special Duty in the Home Ministry. This means Bhalla is likely to be the Home Secretary once the current incumbent Rajiv Gauba retires on August 31.
Among other major changes, the Airports Authority of India Chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra, will take over as Secretary of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, in the Commerce Ministry upon the superannuation of incumbent Ramesh Abhishek on July 31.
Garg’s departure from North Block will also lead to a new Finance Secretary being named soon. As per protocol, the seniormost of the five secretaries in the Finance Ministry – Economic Affairs, Revenue, Expenditure, Financial Services and DIPAM – is designated as the Finance Secretary.
Right now, Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey and Financial Services Secretary are the seniormost, from the 1984 batch. An official said that Kumar will likely be designated the next Finance Secretary, though a final decision is yet to be taken.
Expenditure Secretary Girish Chandra Murmu is from the 1985 batch (and could retire in November), Chakraborty is from the 1985 batch, while the incoming DIPAM Secretary, Anil Kumar Khachi is from the 1986 batch.
(With Agency Inputs)