Government appoints 22 new joint secretaries

Former private secretary to then home minister L.K. Advani, U.K.S. Chauhan, is among the four new joint secretaries appointed in the home ministry as part of a mid-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the government, which has resulted in appointment of 22 new joint secretaries across various ministries.

Apart from him, IPS officer Satyendra Garg is another newly-appointed joint secretary in the home ministry, according to an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Monday.

Pradeep Gupta, a 1985-batch officer of Indian Ordnance Factory Service (IOFS), is also among the new joint secretaries in the home ministry. This is probably the first time when an officer from the IOFS has been appointed in the home ministry.

The fourth official to have been appointed in the ministry is T.V.S.N. Prasad.

Mr Chauhan, a 1986-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, has been appointed for a period up to September 27, 2017, when he completes a maximum of five years Central deputation tenure, the DoPT said.

He is at present working as joint secretary in department of food and public distribution, and was private secretary to Mr Advani, when the latter was deputy Prime Minister during the Vajpayee government. Mr Chauhan was at the said post for about a year from June 2003 onwards, agencies reported.

Mr Garg, a 1987-batch IPS officer of Union Territories-cadre, is presently working as special commissioner (legal cell and research) in the Delhi police. He has been appointed to the post for five years, the order said.

Meanwhile, Manoj Joshi, joint secretary in the department of economic affairs, has been shifted to ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises in the same position.

Mr Joshi, a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, will have tenure till March 8, 2017, when he completes five years Central deputation period, the order said.

Abhay Damle, an Indian Revenue Service (income-tax cadre), has been appointed as joint secretary in the ministry of road, transport and highways.

Ravi Agrawal, also from the same service, has been appointed as joint secretary in department of disinvestment.

IAS officer I.S Chahal, who was put on compulsory wait, has been appointed as joint secretary in ministry of panchayati raj.