Gujarat's IAS officer V Thiruppugazh to help Nepal in reconstruction efforts

NEW DELHI: Gujarat-cadre IAS officer V Thiruppugazh has been appointed to a key post to help in massive reconstruction efforts being undertaken in Nepal by authorities there following last year's devastating quake.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Appointments Committee of Cabinet ( ACC) has approved Thiruppugazh's appointment as Senior Adviser to National Reconstruction Authority (NRA), an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.

The NRA, which was set up after the April 25 earthquake in Nepal last year that killed nearly 9,000 people and injured 22,302 others, besides causing loss worth crores of rupees to infrastructure, is mandated to complete reconstruction works in that country.

Thiruppugazh, a 1991 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre, is presently working as Adviser in the National Disaster Management Authority here.

He has been appointed for an initial period of six months and will be posted in Nepal, the DoPT said.

In another order, the ACC has appointed IAS officer Prashant S Lokhande as Counsellor (Economic) in Indian Embassy, Beijing.

Lokhande, a 2001 batch IAS officer of Union territories cadre, has been appointed for an initial period of three years, it said.

He is presently working in Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

The ACC has informed both the bureaucrats about a recent rule in which the government can suspend an officer if he overstays foreign deputation tenure.

The Centre has been taking disciplinary action against officers overstaying foreign posting.