NDA govt makes its first secretary-level appointments

In the first secretary-level appointments by the Narendra Modi government, Rakesh Garg was on Sunday named the new telecom secretary while Jugal Kishore Mohapatra is to be secretary in the fertilizers ministry.

Ahead of his departure for Brazil for the BRICS summit, Prime Minister Modi cleared fresh appointments for various ministries.

According to the official order, Garg, a 1980-batch Uttar Pradesh-cadre officer, was appointed the new telecom secretary.

The vacancy for the post was created after M F Farooqui had superannuated. Garg was on central deputation till 2012 and returns to the Centre after serving in various capacities, including as principle secretary to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Sanjay Kothari, a 1978-batch IAS officer from Haryana, has been appointed as the new Secretary in the department of personnel and training. He will take over from SK Sarkar, who retires on July 31.

Kothari was serving as the secretary of department of administrative reforms and public grievances and secretary, department of pensions and pensioners' Welfare. This will be looked after now by N Ravi Shanker, a 1980-batch IAS officer from Uttarakhand. He was administrator of universal service

obligation fund in the department of telecommunications.

Chief secretary of Odisha, Jugal Kishore Mohapatra, a 1979-batch Odisha cadre IAS officer, has been appointed as secretary in the department of fertilizers, ministry of chemicals and fertilizers. He replaces Shaktikanta Das, a 1980-batch IAS officer from Tamil Nadu who has been appointed as revenue secretary.

The appointments committee of the cabinet headed by the PM also cleared the appointment of Enforcement Director Rajan S Katoch as secretary in the department of heavy industry. He will, however, continue to hold the post of

ED chief for a period of six months or till a regular incumbent is named to the post of Enforcement Director.     

Katoch, a 1979-batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, will take over his new assignment after the present incumbent, Sutanu Behuria, retires on July 31.

Sanjay Kumar Panda, a 1980-batch IAS officer of Manipur- Tripura cadre, has been appointed secretary in the ministry of textiles. He is presently serving in his cadre state. He will take over from Zohra Chatterji, who superannuates on July 31.

Senior IAS officer Hara Krushna Das has been appointed as the secretary of the inter state council secretariat under the ministry of home affairs. Das, a 1980-batch IAS officer, is presently serving in his cadre state of Gujarat. He has been appointed in place of Tabom Bam, who has retired.

The government has also appointed Shankar Agarwal, a 1980-batch UP cadre IAS officer, as the secretary in the ministry of urban bevelopment. He is at present secretary in the ministry of women and child development, which post will be taken over by Vinay Sheel Oberoi, a 1979-batch IAS Assam-Meghalaya cadre officer.

Agarwal was appointed in place of Sudhir Krishna, a 1977-batch IAS officer of Karnataka cadre, who has retired.

Image: PM Narendra Modi