Rejig of top secys at Centre

Over two- dozen bureaucrats appointed to various ministries

Senior bureaucrat Amit Khare, who was the whistleblower in the infamous fodder scam of Bihar, was on Friday appointed secretary of the information and broadcasting ministry as part of a major reshuffle involving 24 top IAS officers.

Anup Wadhawan and former Delhi chief cecretary M M Kutty have been named as new commerce and petroleum secretaries respectively. Ms Rina Ray has been appointed secretary in the department of school education and literacy, an order issued by the personnel ministry said. Mr Khare, a 1985- batch IAS officer, is at present serving in his cadre state Jharkhand.

He had in June 1996 reportedly exposed multicrore fodder scam, involving the then chief minister of Bihar, Lalu Prasad, when he was working as the deputy commissioner of Chaibasa ( now in Jharkhand), agency reports said. Mr Khare will take over the charge from incumbent N. K. Sinha who superannuates on May 31.

Mr Wadhawan, the special secretary in the department of commerce, has been appointed as officer on special duty in the same department.

The officer will take over as the secretary of the commerce ministry on the superannuation of Rita Teotia, on July 31, the order said.

M. M. Kutty, at present the special secretary in the department of economic affairs, will take charge of the petroleum ministry from K. D. Tripathi after his retirement on June 30, 2018.

Mr Kutty, who had been principal secretary to the then chief minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit, before becoming the chief secretary, has been appointed as officer on special duty in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas, it said.

Rina Ray will succeed Anil Swarup as secretary, the department of school education & literacy. She is at present special secretary in the same department. Mr Swarup superannuates on June 30.

Atanu Chakraborty, a 1985- batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, will be secretary, the department of investment and public asset management.

Mr Atanu Chakraborty is at present director general of hydrocarbons.

Binoy Kumar has been named as the new steel secretary.

He will take over the charge from Aruna Sharma who completes her term on August 31. Kumar has been appointed as officer on special duty in the ministry of steel.

Mr Kumar will continue to hold additional charge of the post of special secretary, logistics, the department of commerce until July 31. Deepak Khandekar will be secretary, ministry of tribal affairs.

He is working in his cadre state Madhya Pradesh. Khandekar will take the charge from Leena Nair, who retires next month- end.

Heera Lal Samariya has been named secretary, the ministry of labour & employment. He is additional secretary in the same ministry.

The Centre has also temporarily upgraded the post held by 14 IAS officers in this latest reshuffle. Gujarat cadre IAS officer G. C. Murmu has been appointed special secretary in the department of revenue. He is Additional Secretary in the same department.

Rabindra Panwar, Additional Secretary & Financial Adviser, the Ministry of Home Affairs, will be Special Secretary and Financial Adviser in the same ministry.