The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Monday, May 29, 2000,
Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

M A I N N E W S

Centre shuffles 24 secys
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, May 28 — A day after the Cabinet expansion and reshuffle the Union Government today carried out a major reshuffle of Union Secretaries.

The reshuffle involves 24 secretaries with Mr Prabir Sengupta, 1965 Assam-Meghalaya cadre officer, being appointed the new Commerce Secretary in place of Mr P. P. Prabhu who is retiring at the end of the month while Mr V. N. Kaul, a 1965 MP cadre officer, will be the Coal Secretary in place of Mr S. S. Boparai who will be repatriated to his cadre. Mr Sengupta is at present Defence Production and Supplies Secretary.

Sugar and Edible oils Secretary, P. Shankar (Tamil Nadu) who was tipped to take over as Commerce Secretary will now be the Secretary in Department of Food and Public Distribution with Sugar and Edibles being merged in the new Department, an official order said today.

Mr A. K. Basu, West Bengal cadre, will be the new Power Secretary while Madhya Pradesh’s Mr A. K. Agarwal will be the new Steel Secretary. Mr Basu replaces Mr V. K. Pandit, who is retiring on May 31 while Mr Agarwal has been moved from Coordination and PG.

Mr A. H. Jung will be the new Civil Aviation Secretary in place of Mr Ravindra Gupta who has been shifted to the Department of Defence Production and Supplies.

Former Punjab Chief Secretary V. K. Khanna has been appointed Chairman of Inland Waterways Authority of India while another Punjab cadre officer, Mr S. K. Naik will be the new Tribal Affairs Secretary.

Mr A. K. Kundra, 1966 Punjab cadre officer who at present is Adviser in the Planning Commission has been moved to the Ministry of Environment and Forests as a Special Secretary in place of Mr Vinod Vaish who will be the new Secretary of Telecom Service. Mr Vaish replaces Mr P. S. Saran who is retiring on May 31. Haryana cadre officer, Mr M. D. Asthana who was Secretary in the Department of Public Distribution will now be the Principal Adviser in Planning Commission in place of Mr Kundra.

Mr B. K. Chaturvedi of UP cadre will be the new Secretary in the Department of Women and Child Development in place of Haryana’s Mrs Kiran Aggarwal who is proceeding on leave.

Mr Bhure Lal (UP) will be the new Chairman of the Food Corporation of India in place of Mr P. R. Dasgupta, who retires on May 31. Mr Lal was the Tribal Affairs Secretary.

Ms Achala Moulik (Karnataka) has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Elementary Education and Literacy while Mr Dipankar Basu (Gujarat) will repalce Mr Agarwal as Secretary Coordination and PG. At present he heads the Inland Waterways Authority.

Mr S. S. Sharma, who is the Director General of the National

Productivity Council, will be a Special Secretary in the Power Ministry. Mr Sharma will be replaced by Mr K. Srinivasan, who is being shifted from his post of Consumer Affairs Secretary.

Mr Vinay Kohli (Assam-Meghalaya) will be the new Secretary, National Commission of Minorities in place of Mr S. Bandhopadhyaya who has been shifted as Consumer Affairs Secretary.

Mr P. K. Banerji (West Bengal) who is the Chief Commissioner of Investment and NRI will now be the Special Secretary (Insurance) in place of Mr B. K. Chaturvedi.

Mr V. K. Dhall IMP) on return from his international assignment at UNIDO will be repatriated.

Mr S. B. Krishnan who is Secretary in the Techonology Board in the rank and pay of additional secretary has been upgraded as Secretary. Maharashtra’s Mr Valluri Narayan will be the new Chief Commissioner, Investment and NRI.