Bureaucratic rejig point to govt's priorities

As many as 14 new joint secretaries have been appointed in different central government ministries as part of a major mid-level bureaucratic reshuffle effective from Thursday.

Two Indian Police Service officers and one each from Indian Forest and Indian Postal Service have also been appointed as JS in the rejig.

The reshuffle is aimed at speeding up the implementation of the government’s ambitious programmes like the SmartCity project and focus on key sectors like Mines, Information Technology and Road Transport.

IPS officer P V Ramasastry, who is working as inspector general in National Investigation Agency, has been made JS in Department of Consumer Affairs. East Delhi Municipal Corporation Commissioner Amit Yadav, a 1991 batch union territories cadre IAS officer, has been appointed joint secretary in Department of Telecommunication, an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training said.

Praveen Garg, a 1988 batch Indian Administrative Service officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as JS in Department of Economic Affairs.

His batchmate Rajiv Bansal is new joint secretary in Department of Electronic and Information Technology.

Another IAS officer Dinesh Kumar will be JS, Department of Agriculture, it said.

B Anand, Leena Nandon and Sonia Sethi have been appointed joint secretaries in Urban Development, Road, Transport and Highways and Culture Ministry, respectively, the order said.

IFoS officer Shripal will be principal commissioner in Delhi Development Authority. IPS officer Praveen Vashista has been appointed as JS in Ministry of Mines.

IAS officer Anil Kumar Singh, who was working as joint secretary in Power Ministry, has been shifted to Department of Justice. Rajinder Kumar Singh, a 1989 batch Indian Postal Service officer, has also been appointed as JS in the same department.

Rachna Shah, a 1991 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre, will be new joint secretary in Cabinet Secretariat.

K Gopal has been made Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) in Textiles Ministry, the order said.

The competent authority has approved cancellation of appointment of U K S Chauhan, a 1986 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre, as joint secretary in Home Ministry. He is presently working on the same post in Department of Food and Public Distribution.