Khattar EX-OSD made Confed head, more aides likely to go in reshuffle

PSE IS RUNNING INTO LOSSES

CHANDIGARH : Capt Bhupinder, former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, has been appointed chairman of the Federation of Consumers’ Cooperative Wholesale Stores Limited (Confed). He had put in his papers as an OSD last week. Confed is a loss-making entity.

Prior to him, two other OSDS — Jawahar Yadav and Raj Kumar Bhardwaj — who were also political appointees like Capt Bhupinder, had quit and According to the White Paper on State Finance, 2015, Confed had a turnover of ₹762 crore in 2004-05, which increased to ₹1,565 crore in 2013-14. From a net profit of ₹5 crore in 2004-05, the federation gradually reported a net loss of ₹59 crore in 2013-14. The accumulated loss of the Federation

were given new assignments. Yadav, the then principal OSD to the CM, was made chairman of the Haryana Housing Board and increased from ₹1 crore in 2004-05 to ₹117 crore in 2013-14. The white paper also said that the present debt (2015) in the form of a cash credit limit of ₹306 cr had been obtained against a government guarantee. To reduce its losses, Confed has ventured into the procurement business, to no avail.

Bhardwaj, OSD, media, New Delhi, was appointed as head of a University Grants Commission (UGC) body.

Another political appointee Amit Arya, who was the media adviser to the CM was also shifted to New Delhi, two months ago. The reshuffles were said to be part of a revamp in the chief minister’s office in the wake of the ensuing general and state elections. With this, the original team of Khattar has been revamped almost completely.

At least three more aides of the CM are on their way out. The issue of their shifting was discussed during e meeting of the core group of the Haryana BJP last week, though Khattar is yet to take a final decision.