Dilli Ka Babu: Extended tenures for secretaries

The government has given a three-month extension to economic affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das, who will now retire in May this year. Mr Das has been the public face of the government during demonetisation. He was to retire at the end of February and the extension will allow the 1980-batch Tamil Nadu cadre IAS officer to oversee the entire Budget process that lasts until early April. This is a routine Budget perk to officers on the cusp, at Budget time. The government has given a more substantial one-year extension to foreign secretary S. Jaishankar, who was to retire on January 28.

The extension to Mr Jaishankar will have a ripple effect in the ministry of external affairs. Many senior diplomats, including India’s ambassador to Italy Anil Wadhwa (1979-batch) and secretary (west) Sujata Mehta (1980-batch) will now retire without getting a shot at the top position. Though a little bird tells us, they know this pretty much. According to sources, India’s ambassador to China, Vijay Gokhale, seen as one of the main contenders to replace Mr Jaishankar, is due to retire in the end of January 2019. And with Mr Jaishankar getting a one-year term, it leaves Mr Gokhale in the race for the top diplomatic position in the MEA.

Babus have their way in Mumbai

Some months ago this column had reported that the Bombay Gymkhana’s managing committee was under tremendous pressure from babus who wanted membership of the prestigious 140-year-old club, against the wishes of majority of the members. But it seems the babus have won. As Dilli ka Babu had expected, need we add? The club has agreed to give permanent membership to senior bureaucrats in Mumbai. Sources say that the management may have caved in following a series of actions and threats by various government departments, the latest being denial of a liquor licence for the club’s New Year’s Eve party.

The club has been battling a controversial proposal to allow service members, or bureaucrats, to use the club’s facilities even after they retire from their public posts. Some senior officials have allegedly been pushing for this and using their offices to hinder the club’s functioning. The club has been afflicted with delays in repair permissions and an overhanging threat that their lease — the land belongs to the state government — will not be renewed. Recently, its parking facilities were taken away. It seems to have worked.