Bureaucratic re-shuffle: Modi government makes eight new appointments at the secretary level

NEW DELHI: The Modi government on Wednesday night announced eight appointments at the secretary level ahead of the US visit. Four such appointments have been done as the incumbents are retiring on September 30.

Aradhana Johri, an IAS officer of the 1980 batch and secretary in Department of Pharmaceuticals, will be the new secretary, Department of Disinvestment in the Finance Ministry from October 1 after the retirement of the incumbent Ravi Mathur. Her spot in the pharmaceuticals department will be taken by her batchmate VK Subburaj. The new secretary of Department of Chemicals and Fertilisers will be SK Chaudhary, the present secretary of National Commission of Minorities.

Rajiv Takru, the former revenue secretary who was serving as secretary, Department of Northeast, has been shifted to National Commission of Minorities as the new secretary there. The new heavy industries secretary to handle Department of Public Enterprises will be KD Tripathi, who is the secretary of Central Vigilance Commission. IAS officer Kusumjit Sidhu will be the new secretary in the law ministry handling Department of Justice. IAS officer Satyanarayan Mohanty, who handles the National Disaster Management Authority, will be the secretary, Department of Higher Education in the HRD ministry.

Also, at around Tuesday midnight, 46 joint secretary appointments were effected. Many officers who served as the aides of UPA ministers have been appointed joint secretaries in key ministries. Still, some officers with a long spell in key posts under the UPA have been moved out. Nearly half the appointments have been made from various state cadres, a move that's being characterised as a bid to bring fresh energy and thinking to the Centre.

The biggest change was at the Union home ministry and the ministry of petroleum and natural gas.