Major shuffle: Narendra Modi replaces Finance Secretary

New Delhi: In first major Secretary-level shuffle by the Narendra Modi-government, Finance Secretary Arvind Mayaram has been transfered out of the Finance Ministry to a low profile Tourism Ministry.    

Mayaram, who was senior most among the four Secretaries in the Ministry of Finance with dual roles as finance and economic affairs secretary, was appointed by the previous     government and has one-full year before he retires on October 31, 2015.  He has now been made the Tourism secretary.    

He has been replaced by his batchmate from 1978-batch Rajiv Mehrishi, who currently is the Chief Secretary of Rajasthan. Mehrishi retires in August-end and will have just about 10 months at Ministry of Finance.   

In all, 20 new appointments were made yesterday, one-third being at the Secretary level.     Anil Swarup, a 1981 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the new Coal Secretary. Swarup, who is Additional Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat, has     been Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of Coal and will take over as Coal Secretary when incumbent S K Srivastava retires on October 31.    

In orders issued yesterday, Mayaram, a 1978-batch IAS officer belonging to Rajasthan cadre, was made the Tourism Secretary in place of Parvez Dewan on his retirement at month end. In his place, Rajiv Mehrishi, an IAS officer of the same batch as Mayaram and from the same state, was appointed Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance. Ministry of Finance has four secretaries - Economic Affairs, Expenditure, Revenue and Financial Services.

The senior most among the four is designated Finance Secretary. Presently, Ratan P Watal, a 1978 batch IAS officer from Andhra Pradesh is Expenditure Secretary while 1980-batch IAS     officer of Rajasthan cadre Gurdial Singh Sandhu is the Financial Services Secretary. Shaktikanta Das, an IAS officer of 1980 batch from Tamil Nadu cadre, is Revenue Secretary.  Mayaram's transfer was part of the first major Secretary- level reshuffle undertaken by the Modi government.    

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved appointment of Swarup as Officer on Special Duty in the  Ministry of Coal in the rank and pay of Secretary, a press release issued today by the Department of Personnel and Training said. Alok Rawat, a 1977 batch IAS officer of Sikkim cadre, has been appointed new secretary in the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances and Department of Pensions and Pensioners Welfare. Rawat is presently Secretary in Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga  Rejuvenation, it said.    

Prabhu Dayal Meena, a 1980 batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as Secretary in the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare. Meena, who is presently Special Secretary in Department of Land Resources, will replace Sangita Gairola, who retires this month-end, the release said.  

Anuj Kumar Bishnoi, a 1981 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation. Bishnoi is presently Additional Secretary in the Department of Defence.   

Ashok Kumar Angurana, a 1980 batch IAS officer of Jammu and Kashmir cadre, has been appointed as Secretary in Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Angurana is presently working as Managing Director, TRIFED, Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The government has appointed Vinod Agrawal, a 1980 batch IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre, as Secretary in National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC). Agrawal is presently  working as Advisor, Inter State Council Secretariat under  the Ministry of Home Affairs.