NEW DELHI: In yet another major bureaucratic shake-up just a day after the polling in Haryana and Maharashtra, Narendra Modi-led BJP-NDA Government on Thursday announced the shifting of Finance Secretary Arvind Mayaram to Tourism Ministry and Water Resources Secretary Alok Rawat to the Department of Administrative Reforms.
Surprisingly, Chief Secretary of Rajasthan, Rajiv Mehrishi, who was rumoured to be in the race for the Cabinet Secretary’s post, was appointed in Mayaram’s place as Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs. Incidentally, Mayaram and Mehrishi are not just IAS batchmates but are also friends. In the same sweep, it was announced that Anil Swarup, who was Additional Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat, will be the new Coal Secretary, once incumbent S K Srivastava retires. This is the second big bureaucratic top-level reshuffle after September 23.
Orders for three other significant appointments were also issued on Thursday. Ashok Kumar Angurana has been appointed Secretary, Panchayati Raj Ministry. A 1980-batch official, he was at present Managing Director of TRIFED in the Tribal Affairs Ministry.
Vinod Agrawal has been appointed Secretary, National Commission for Schedule Castes, replacing V K Subburaj. Agrawal is also 1980-batch IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre, currently posted as Adviser, Inter-state Council Secretariat. Prabhu Dayal Meena, Special Secretary, Department of Land Resources, is the new Secretary, Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare, replacing Sangita Gairola.