Rajiv Mehrishi appointed Finance Secretary

NEW DELHI: Economic Affairs Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi was today designated as Finance Secretary.

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has approved that Mehrishi, a 1978 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre, may be designated as Finance Secretary, said an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

Mehrishi was last month appointed as Secretary in Department of Economic Affairs in place of his batchmate Arvind Mayaram, who was first shifted to Tourism and then to Minority Affairs Ministry.

Mayaram, who also had twin roles as both finance and economic affairs secretary, was appointed by the last UPA government.

Mehrishi is the senior most secretary among the four others who head Departments of Expenditure, Revenue, Financial Services and Disinvestment under the Finance Ministry.

As per norms, the senior most secretary in the Finance Ministry is appointed as the Finance Secretary.

The centre had last week effected major bureaucratic reshuffle and replaced Financial Services Secretary Gurdial Singh Sandhu with a 1981 batch Gujarat-cadre IAS officer Hasmukh Adhia.

At present, Shaktikanta Das and Ratan P Watal are secretaries of Departments of Revenue and Expenditure, respectively.