NEW DELHI: Air India CMD Rajiv Bansal was appointed as new Aviation Secretary in a major top-level bureaucratic reshuffle on Wednesday, with 13 Union ministries and departments getting new secretaries. Bansal will replace the current Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola, who is retiring on September 30. He was appointed chairman and managing director of Air India for a second time in February last year.
His appointment came just days after the government announced 100% stake sale of the debt-ridden national carrier. Based on approval by the Appointment Committee of Cabinet, 1989-batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre K Rajaraman will take charge as new Telecom Secretary after the retirement of incumbent Anshu Prakash on September 30. At present, Rajaraman is Additional Secretary in the Expenditure Department of the Finance Ministry.
Steel Secretary Pradip Kumar Tripathi has been appointed Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) while Govind Mohan, Additional Secretary in the Department of Home, will now be Secretary, Ministry of Culture.
Delhi Development Authority’s Vice Chairman Anurag Jain has been appointed Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade while K Sanjay Murthy, CEO and MD of the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Limited will be Secretary, Department of Higher Education. Devendra Kumar Singh, Additional Secretary and Development Commissioner, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises will be Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation.
Sunil Barthwal, who is Central Provident Fund Commissioner in the Employees Provident Fund Organisation, was named Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment. Anuradha Prasad, Special Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, has been moved as Secretary, Inter State Council Secretariat, MHA. Lok Ranjan and Sujata Chaturvedi, both working as additional secretaries in DoPT, will now be Secretary in Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region and Department of Sports, respectively. The government also upgraded nine additional secretary level officers in the rank and pay of secretary.
New roles