Ashok Chawla to be new finance secy

Economic Affairs secretary Ashok Chawla is likely to be designated as the finance secretary on Monday.

A decision to this effect has been taken after Arun Ramanathan retired as finance secretary on Thursday. Currently, Chawla is the senior-most official in the finance ministry.

In addition, G C Chaturvedi, currently serving as additional secretary in the ministry of health and family welfare, has been appointed as additional secretary in-charge of the financial services department.

Chawla, a 1973-batch Indian Administrative Service officer, rejoined the finance ministry only in September last year after over a decade. Prior to that he served as secretary in the ministry of civil aviation between February 2007 and September 2008.

Though revenue secretary P V Bhide is his batchmate, Chawla is placed higher on the seniority list. Expenditure Secretary Sushma Nath belongs to the 1974 batch of the IAS.

Chaturvedi, an officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, is also making a comeback to the finance ministry, where he had earlier served as the joint secretary in-charge of insurance.

On promotion to the additional secretary grade, he was appointed the mission director for the National Rural Health Mission.

During his earlier stint in the finance ministry, Chaturvedi had drafted the new insurance law and amendments to the law governing the functioning of Life Insurance Corporation, which are awaiting parliamentary approval.

With the appointment of an additional secretary-rank officer, the financial services department is likely to revert to its status as a division in the ministry. For the last few years, it had achieved the status of a department in view of the appointment of a secretary.

While Vinod Rai, who is now the Comptroller and Auditor General, was earlier the secretary, he was succeeded by Arun Ramanathan.