NDMC chief Srivastava to be replaced in a bureaucratic reshuffle

In a major shake- up, the city administration’s principal secretary ( services) Shakuntala Gamlin has been given additional charge of the NDMC. Ms Gamlin will take charge from NDMC chairperson Jalaj Srivastava, who is proceeding for special training to the United States after he was empanelled to the rank of the additional secretary. About a dozen senior bureaucrats in the city administration have also been reportedly reshuffled.

Principal secretary ( technical and higher education) R. K. Verma has already sought voluntary retirement from November 1. Mr Verma will be replaced by education secretary Anindo Majumdar. Principal secretary ( finance and planning), Dr M. M. Kutty, is also going for training to the United States. A source said that chief secretary D. M. Spolia will himself retain the charge of finance and planning department.

Even social welfare and women and child development secretary Satbir Bedi has been moved to the Union human resources development ministry. Environment secretary Sanjiv Kumar will now hold the additional charge of Ms Bedi’s department.

The city administration has reportedly recommend- ed a panel of six bureaucrats — labour commissioner Jitendra Narain, Anindo Majumdar, Janak Digal, Vijay Kumar, Puneet Goel and Dr M. M. Kutty — for the post of Delhi’s chief electoral officer. Delhi’s CEO Vijay Dev is all set to join as the administrator of Chandigarh. There are indications that Delhi Jal Board CEO Vijay Kumar may replace Mr Dev.

Sources said Ms Gamlin, who had been lobbying for the post in the finance department, will take the charge as the NDMC chairman from October 25. A 1984- batch officer, Ms Gamlin has been on and off with the city administration since 1994. “Whenever a hard posting was due for her, she managed to go on Central deputation and would again come back to the city administration later,” a senior officer told this newspaper.

A 1984 batch officer, Arvind Ray has been given the charge of the home department after the September 30 retirement of Ms Archna Arora. Mr Ray will also hold the charge of the principal secretary ( SC/ ST/ OBC/ minorities) and CMD of the Delhi State Financial Development Corporation.

A 1983 batch officer, Lalmalsawma, who was holding the charge of the GAD in the city administration, will be the new chief secretary of Mizoram from November 1.