A quick check on who are in-charge of various ministries as many secretaries are holidaying during this Christmas and New Year

MANY top bureaucrats in India heading various ministries and departments have gone on long leave during this festive season of Christmas and New Year forcing the department of personnel and training (DoPT) to announce their replacements for this period. The secretaries who are on leave now include Alka Sirohi, a 1974 batch MP cadre IAS and secretary, department of food and public distribution, AK Upadhyay, a 1975 batch Bihar cadre IAS and secretary in the department of youth affairs, C Balakrishnan, a 1974 batch Himachal Pradesh cadre IAS and secretary, ministry of coal and Dr M Ramachandran, a 1972 batch Uttarakhand cadre IAS and secretary of urban development ministry.
Now, secretaries of other ministries are being given additional charge of the ministries and departments where the top bureaucrats are on long leave. Rajiv Aggarwal, a 1975 batch Maharashtra cadre and secretary in the department of consumer affairs, for example, is given additional charge of the post of secretary in the department of food and public distribution during the absence on leave of Ms Sirohi from December, 25, 2009 to January 3, 2010. Ms Sindhushree Khullar, a 1975 batch Uttarakhand cadre IAS and secretary in the department of sports will hold additional charge of the post of secretary, department of youth affairs during the absence on leave of Mr Upadhyay from December 23, 2009 to January 3, 2010.
Similarly, R Bandyopadhyay, a 1974 batch West Bengal cadre IAS and secretary, ministry of corporate affairs was given additional charge of the post of secretary, ministry of minority affairs during the absence on leave of Vivek Mehrotra, a 1974 batch Haryana cadre IAS from December 12, 2009 to December 20, 2009. DK Sikri, a 1975 batch Gujarat cadre IAS and secretary in the ministry of women and child development will hold additional charge of the post of secretary in the ministry of coal during the absence on leave of Mr Balakrishnan for a period of three months or until further orders.
Also, Ms Kiran Dhingra, a 1975 batch Uttarakhand cadre IAS and secretary in the ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation, is holding additional charge of the post of secretary, ministry of urban development during the absence on leave of Dr Ramachandran from December 21, 2009 to January 8, 2010. Dr Ramachandran is now in US on a personal visit.

Action and Appointments
SC Srivastava, a 1976 batch Central Secretariat Service officer has been appointed as joint secretary in the department of justice till the date of his superannuation on November 30, 2011, from the date of taking over charge of the post or until further orders.

Mayawati for a police training centre in Lucknow
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Ms Mayawati has asked the concerned officials to initiate the process for setting up of a police training centre in Lucknow without any delay. The move is to set up the police training centre on 90 acres of land at Mohanlalganj area in the city, a state government government release said. She also directed that the vacant police posts should immediately be filled up to ensure better law and order situation in the state.