New Delhi: In a bid to reward performers and punish the laggards following an internal assessment made by the Prime Minister’s office, the Narendra Modi government on Tuesday carried out a major reshuffle of the bureaucracy.
The shuffle follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directions to ensure that officials who have not been able to keep pace with the government’s desire to push a reformist agenda need to be replaced.
Gujarat-cadre senior IAS officer Rita A Teotia has been appointed as new commerce secretary and Rajeev Nayan Choubey was made Civil Aviation Secretary as part of a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle at the Centre.
Teaotia, a 1981 batch IAS officer, is Special Secretary in Department of Telecommunications.
Choubey, also a 1981 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, is Special Secretary in Power Ministry. He will take over from Aviation Secretary V Somasundaram, who has been shifted as Secretary in Ministry of Women and Child Development, an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training said.
A total of 17 Secretary-level new appointments have been cleared by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Somasundaram has replaced Vinay Sheel Oberoi, who will be Secretary, Department of Higher Education. Oberoi will take charge from Satyanarayan Mohanty who has been made Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Delhi Development Authority (DDA) Vice Chairman Balvender Kumar has been made Mines Secretary. Kumar will replace Anup K Pujari, who has been appointed as Secretary in Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, it said.
Pradeep Kumar Pujari, another Gujarat cadre IAS officer, is new Power Secretary in place of P K Sinha who was earlier named as next Cabinet Secretary. Pujari is Special Secretary and Financial Adviser in the Department of Agriculture Research and Education.
Anuj Kumar Bishnoi has been shifted from Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and appointed Secretary, Department of Fertilizers.
Shashi Shekhar, a 1981 batch Tamil Nadu cadre IAS officer, Special Secretary in Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change replaces Bishnoi, the official announcement said.
Anil Kumar Agarwal has been made Secretary in Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs in place of Sunil Soni who has been appointed Secretary, Inter State Council Secretariat under Home Ministry.
Devendra Chaudhary, a 1981 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, and Department of Pensions and Pensioners’ Welfare.
Ameising Luikham, Secretary, North Eastern Council, has been made Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises in place of Kapil Dev Tripathi, who was earlier appointed as Petroleum Secretary.
Subash Chandra Khuntia has been made new Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy. Khuntia, a 1981 batch IAS officer of Karnataka cadre, is presently Special Secretary and Financial Adviser in Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
He has replaced Vrinda Sarup, who has been made Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution. C R Viswanath has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs. Viswanath, a 1981 batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, is presently Chairman and Managing Director, Food Corporation of India.