PIL holds up bureaucratic reshuffle

The secretary-level reshuffle notified by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on Friday would be put on hold after commerce secretary Dipak Chatterjee's decision to stay on.

Chatterjee was to be administered oath of office as the first Competition Commission of India chairman on Friday at 3 pm.

Confusion over his premature retirement from the Indian Administrative Service prevailed since Thursday evening, after a public interest litigation challenging the appointment of a bureaucrat to head CCI was filed in the Supreme Court.

Textiles secretary SB Mohapatra, whose transfer to commerce ministry was notified on Friday, would have to wait till Chatterjee continues as commerce secretary.

Similarly, fertiliser secretary Nripendra Mishra would have to stay put till Mohapatra moves over.

Laxmi Chand, presently additional secretary in the coal ministry, who was to take over from Misra as the fertiliser secretary, would also have to wait.

The Appointments Committee also approved the posting of Arun Bhatnagar, at present secretary in the department of food and public distribution, as secretary in the personnel ministry.