New Delhi: In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, the Modi government has replaced Financial Services Secretary Gurdial Singh Sandhu with Gujarat-cadre IAS officer Hasmukh Adhia. At the same time the government has also made over 60 Special and Joint Secretary-level appointments.
This is the latest in a series of changes in North Block — ahead of the Union Budget 2015-16.
As per an order posted on the website of Department of Personal and Training, Sandhu, a 1980 batch Indian Administrative Service officer of Rajasthan cadre will be new chairman of National Authority for Chemical Weapon Convention.
Last month the finance ministry took the decision to transfer Arvind Mayaram to the tourism ministry. Surprisingly, Mayaram has been transferred again to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, where he now joins ex-revenue secretary Rajiv Takru who handles the National Commission for Minorities.
Adhia, a 1981-batch IAS officer, is currently working as Additional Chief Secretary in the Finance Department of Gujarat government. He served as the Principal Secretary of Education Department from April, 2008, to January, 2013, and as Principal Secretary to Narendra Modi from May, 2004, to May, 2006, when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
Prior to that, he was Director from 1994 to 1999 in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion under the Ministry of Industry at New Delhi.
A member of the board of governors of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, Adhia holds a Ph.D. in Yoga from Swami Vivekanand Yoga University, Bangalore.
Adhia is known for his role in bringing out reforms and innovations during the Modi regime, and is also known for starting annual ‘thought camp' or ‘chintan shibir' for IAS officers.
In separate appointments, Anjuly Chib Duggal, additional secretary in the department of expenditure was promoted to special secretary in the same department. Vivek Joshi, joint secretary in the ministry of women and child development has been posted as officer-on-special- duty procurement policy division in the department of expenditure in the place of Meena Agarwal.
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