The Narendra Modi sarkar has extended the tenure of Parameswaran Iyer as secretary, ministry of drinking water and sanitation, up to April 2019. Mr Iyer, many would recall, is a 1981-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre who took voluntary retirement to work with the World Bank until Mr Modi brought him back to anchor the Swachchh Bharat Mission at the ministry. The extension of term shows that the government is reluctant to lose Mr Iyer who is overseeing one of Mr Modi’s most prestigious projects.
Mr Iyer has apparently impressed the Prime Minister’s Office with his handling of the Swachchh Bharat Mission, especially in rural areas, and created a team of “inspired” officers in the districts to carry out the work. Recently he publicly praised Rajeshwari B., collector of Ramgarh, Jharkhand for her role in making her district the first open defecation free (ODF) in the state. No doubt, the Modi sarkar is unwilling to let go of Mr Iyer, known for his expertise in sanitation management and who is inspiring other officials to implement the plan.
Exception to the rule
The recent secretary-level reshuffle effected by the Narendra Modi sarkar was a routine one, except for one appointment which took many babus by surprise. The naming of C. Chandramauli, a 1985-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, as secretary of the department of personnel and training (DoPT) was apparently not expected. Most observers were awaiting the appointment of a babu from the 1983 and 1984 batch as successor to previous DoPT secretary Ajay Mittal, who retired last month.
The explanation is that since the two posts of DoPT secretary and expenditure secretary involve interaction with all departmental heads, a convention was established long ago that only senior most officials will be appointed to these posts. This convention has now been broken. So, will Mr Chandramauli’s appointment be an exception to the established rule or has the Modi sarkar chosen to break from tradition for good? Babus can only guess.
