Modi government reshuffles six secretaries

In a significant development, the Narendra Modi government has reshuffled six additional secretaries, key among them being Girish Chandra Murmu, additional secretary in the expenditure department of the finance ministry, who has been moved to the department of financial services which looks after the functioning of banks. Mr Murmu is a 1985-batch Gujarat-cadre IAS officer, who is considered close to the Prime Minister and was Mr Modi’s principal secretary when he was Gujarat chief minister.

Mr Murmu will take charge as additional secretary in the financial services department of the finance ministry, where he will be replacing Snehlata Shrivastava, a 1982-batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh who has been appointed as secretary in the department of justice, law ministry.

Incidentally, another senior bureaucrat, Hasmukh Adhia, a Gujarat-cadre IAS officer of 1981 batch, is currently revenue secretary in the finance ministry.

Since January this year, the NDA government has effected at least two major bureaucratic reshuffles. In January this year, as many as 10 secretaries had been shifted by the Modi dispensation, key among them being the shunting out of Rakesh Garg as telecom secretary. He was replaced with Uttar Pradesh-cadre IAS officer J.S. Deepak. Mr Garg was sent to the minority affairs ministry as secretary.

Later in March this year, as many as 11 new joint secretaries had been appointed or shifted.

In Friday’s reshuffle of six additional secretaries, U.P. Singh, who is a 1985-batch IAS officer of the Orissa cadre and is currently serving as additional secretary in the sensitive petroleum ministry, has been shifted to the water resources ministry.

Mr Singh, widely known in bureaucratic circles as a diligent officer, had been with the petroleum ministry for almost two years. He had joined there as joint secretary in 2014 and last year was empanelled as additional secretary. Considered as a trusted lieutenant of petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Mr Singh had been handling a major bulk of the ministry’s workload related to policy making.

His transfer to a “lighter” water resources ministry as additional secretary has come as a surprise.

Mr Singh will replace Nikhilesh Jha in the water resources ministry. Mr Jha has been appointed as additional secretary and financial adviser in the department of food and public distribution, ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution.

In other appointments, Shalini Prasad, a UP-cadre IAS officer of 1985 batch, currently stationed in her cadre, has been posted as additional secretary in the power ministry. She will replace Badri Narain Sharma, a Rajasthan-cadre IAS officer, who has been appointed as additional secretary, department of revenue, ministry of finance.

Rajani Ranjan Rashmi, who is currently additional secretary in the commerce ministry, has been appointed as additional secretary in the ministry of environment. She will replace Hem Kumar Pande, a West Bengal-cadre IAS officer of 1982 batch, who has been appointed as secretary, department of official language, ministry of home affairs.