PMO to approve 34 IAS-level secretaries by Jan 2013

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is slated to approve thirty-four 1979 batch Indian Administrative Service officers as secretaries to the government of India.

The Cabinet secretariat on Thursday dispatched the file to the prime minister, who is the head of the appointments committee of the Cabinet, the apex body of the Cabinet on personnel policies.

Key points mentioned in the proposals are that there are 83 IAS officers from the 1979 batch. Sixty-two were taken up for consideration of promotion considerations and after views of vigilance and security agencies were taken, a total number of 34 names were finalised.

According to a highly-placed official source, the names were submitted to the Prime Minister's Office. Now it is the PMO's call to announce the list in mid-December. Indications are that the appointments will start from January 2013.

PMO can still seek a review -- add or reduce the list of promotees. The prime minister can ask for fresh list of officials from the angle of more representation for women and the SC/STs.

Following are some names that made it to the list, as told by a source:

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's private secretary Sakthi Sinha; coal department additional secretary Zora Chattrejee; former establishment officer Subba Rao, B Bhamati who is currently additional secretary in the Union Home ministry; E K Bharat Bhushan who was unceremoniously sacked as director general of civil aviation for his opinion on a private airline; Bimal Julka who had notings on the controversial 2G notes which saved a senior Union minister Jugal Kishore Mohapatra, who was principal secretary to Odisha Chief Minister Navin Patnaik; Dr Rajan Katoch who is now enforcement director and R Ramanujan, now additional secretary to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.