Durga Shakti Nagpal takes charge as Officer on Special Duty to Agriculture Ministry

NEW DELHI: IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, who faced ire of the Uttar Pradesh Government after she took on sand mafia and illegal construction, today assumed charge as Officer on Special Duty ( OSD) to Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh.

Earlier this month, the Appointments Committee of Cabinet had cleared the name of 29-year-old Nagpal.

"I will put 100 per cent on whatever assignment I have been given. I look forward to do different kind of work here in the agriculture ministry, which is a prime focus of the government. It is going to be a different experience from the field administration that I have done in Uttar Pradesh," she said after joining the office here today.

According to the order, Nagpal was appointed as OSD in the rank of an under secretary "in relaxation of eligibility condition of minimum years of service" required for the post.

Nagpal, a 2010 batch IAS officer of the state, will have a tenure of three years from the date of assumption of the post.

Nagpal was in news in 2013 after she detained several vehicles and rounded up many people who allegedly were engaged in illegal mining of sand from Ghaziabad area.

In July 2013, she was suspended by the UP government. Nagpal was, however, reinstated in September 2013 after she along with her husband met state Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.