Capping weeks of suspense over the top-most bureaucratic post, B K Chaturvedi has been given a year's extension as the Union Cabinet Secretary.
An order to this effect has been issued by the government following the decision of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to give Chaturvedi, who was to retire on June 13 next month, a year's extension, official sources said on Tuesday.
Chaturvedi, an Indian Administrative Service officer of 1966 batch from Uttar Pradesh cadre, was appointed Cabinet Secretary on June 14, 2004 succeeding Kamal Pande, whose two-year fixed tenure was cut short by two months by the United Progressive Alliance government and was shifted to the Planning Commission.
Chaturvedi was moved to the top-most bureaucratic post after serving as Petroleum Secretary. His extension order was issued on Monday.
In the past several weeks, names of Women and Child Development Secretary Reva Nayyar, World Bank Executive Director Dhanendra Kumar (both from 1968 batch), Health Secretary P K Hota, Finance Secretary Adarsh Kishore, Home Secretary Vinod Kumar Duggal and Personnel Secretary Prathyush Sinha were doing rounds in the corridors of power for the top job.
However, Chaturvedi, the sources said, was given the extension considering his vast administrative experience as also taking into account the continuity factor.
Besides the post of Cabinet Secretary, Chiefs of Intelligence Bureau and Research and Analysis Wing, the Union Home Secretary and the Defence Secretary have fixed tenure of two years because of operational requirements. The CBI Director already enjoys a two-year fixed tenure as per Supreme Court directions.