Pranab’s trusted lieutenants take up new postings
Almost all officers who came with me to Rashtrapati Bhavan have left. I wish them all the best
Pranab Mukherjee moved into the Rastrapati Bhavan as the 13th President of India’s in the summer of 2012.
Along with him were a battery of bureaucrats who made up the President’s Office, handling tasks such as planning the President’s foreign engagements and liaisoning with the government.
This week, the President — whose term ends soon — said that most of his original team in Rashtrapati Bhavan has moved on.
“Almost all officers who came with me to Rashtrapati Bhavan have left. Two of them are back to foreign service. One is now posted in World Bank. I wish them all the best,” Mukherjee said at the farewell of Venu Rajamony on Thursday. Rajamony had been one of the President’s most trusted lieutenants.
Another key aide, Pradip Gupta, was first to leave Rashtrapati Bhavan last year. Gupta was with Mukherjee from his days as defence minister and had been handling all the GoM-related matters till Mukherjee resigned as finance minister.
After Gupta, Suresh Yadav —who joined Mukherjee during his finance ministry days — left. Yadav is now in Washington DC as a special envoy for India. Gayatri, also a foreign services officer, went back to her parent cadre after handling Mukherjee’s foreign engagements and related issues in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
And just a few months ago, Mukherjee’s private secretary Rajneesh, got promoted and joined the Union commerce ministry. “My private secretary is now in commerce ministry,” Mukherjee said.
The President’s oldest lieutenant, Omita Paul, however, is still with Mukherjee. Paul, a former information service officer, had been Mukherjee’s eyes and ears for more than 20 years, since Mukherjee was the deputy chairman Planning Commission during Narsimha Rao government.
After July 25, Mukherjee is set to shift to a spacious bungalow in the capital’s Rajaji Marg. The bungalow, which was also the home of former President APJ Abdul Kalam, is being refurbished to welcome the new former President.