COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Home Secretary B P Singh transferred to health ministry

In a major administrative reshuffle, the Government of India today transferred Home Secretary B P Singh and 10 other secretary-level officials.

Kamal Pande, an Indian Administrative Service officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, 1965 batch, has been appointed the home secretary with immediate effect, an official spokesman told reporters in New Delhi.

Pande was secretary in the agriculture and co-operation ministry.

Singh has been appointed secretary in the health ministry. Health Secretary K K Baksi has been sent to the Planning Commission as adviser.

The transfers assume significance in view of the fact that the Election Commission had recently directed the central as well as state governments to refrain from taking important decisions.

Today's administrative reshuffle has been criticised by the Congress, which said the "caretaker government cannot transfer senior officials".

The spokesman described the changes as a routine affair.

Asha Das, secretary, official languages, in the home ministry has been shifted to the ministry of social justice and empowerment. She succeeds P K Manawalam, who has been appointed secretary, youth affairs and sports, in the human resources ministry.

Bhaskar Baruah has been appointed secretary, agriculture and co-operation, in place of Kamal Pande. He was secretary, youth affairs and sports.

M K Kaw, adviser, Planning Commission, has been shifted to the department of education as secretary while P R Dasgupta, education secretary, has been moved to the commission as adviser.

N N Mookherjee, on return from leave, has been made secretary, ministry of non-conventional energy resources. C R Kamalnathan, secretary in the ministry of non-conventional energy resources, has been sent back to his home state, Andhra Pradesh.

Satish Chandra, an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1965 batch and chairman, Intelligence Committee (Cabinet Secretariat), has been re-designated secretary, National Security Council secretariat.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report