Race for CabSec hots up, PM will interview top 3

Jaitley shortlists ’ 77 and ’ 78 batch officers P. K. Sinha, Alok Rawat, R. Mehrishi, Saurabh Chandra & K. N. Desiraju on list

As the next Cabinet Secretary is likely to take over by the middle of next month, replacing incumbent Ajit Seth, now on extension, the race for the top bureaucratic post has hotted up. Finance minister Arun Jaitley was tasked with shortlisting three suitable names from among 1977 and 1978 batch IAS officers. These three shortlisted officers will be interviewed by PM Narendra Modi later personally.

Government sources said Mr Jaitley is being assisted by Dr P. K. Mishra, additional principal secretary to the PM, in perusing the annual confidential reports of those being considered. Those in the reckoning include Pradeep Kumar Sinha and Alok Rawat of the 1977 batch, and Rajiv Mehrishi, Saurabh Chandra and K. N. Desiraju of the 1978 batch.

Many in the bureaucracy feel the chances of Mr Rawat, water resources secretary, are extremely bright. He also heads the panel of secretaries on the Ganga, a subject close to Mr Modi’s heart.

Mr Seth was appointed Cabinet Secretary by the UPA government and was later granted a six- month extension in June by the new government, with the rider that it may be ended earlier. Since settling down in office, the PM has held two rounds of meetings with top government secretaries.

The implementation of the BJP’s poll manifesto depends a lot on the top echelons of the bureaucracy, including the Cabinet Secretary.

Incidentally, as finance minister Arun Jaitley has been asked to shortlist three names from among the IAS officers from the two successive batches, everybody in the babudom is busy doing guesswork by asking if it will be from the 1977 or 1978 vintage.

Sources said five names appear to be frontrunners, but finally only the names of three among them would be sent to the Prime Minister for his consideration.

“Among the five names, Alok Rawat, the secretary water resources, Rajiv Mehrishi, the chief secretary of Rajasthan and Saurabh Chandra, the secretary petroleum and natural gas, are likely to be forwarded to the prime Minister,” they added.

Mr Rawat’s name figures prominently in the list as he also heads the panel of secretaries on the Ganga, a subject which is very close to the heart of the Prime Minister.