Road to North Block: RS Gujral appointed new revenue secretary

ALL roads don't lead to North Block. But RS Gujral, a 1976 batch Haryana cadre IAS and presently secretary of the ministry of road transport and highways has been appointed as revenue secretary in place of Sunil Mitra, a 1975 batch West Bengal cadre IAS who is retiring on June 30, 2011.

An old hand of minister Kamal Nath, Gujral was brought in as secretary to the ministry of road transport and highways when Nath was the road transport and highways minister. A Humphery fellow from US, Mr Gujral was the Director General of Foreign Trade and had closely worked with Nath when the latter was the minister of commerce and industry during the last UPA government.

Gujral lost his grips in the ministry after Nath was replaced by CP Joshi as road transport and highways minister. That Gujral did not get along well with Joshi became widely known inside and outside the ministry.  Also Read

Gujral, an old Kamal Nath hand

Action and Appointments

a) Mohammed Haleem Khan, a 1977 batch UP cadre IAS, presently Director General, Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) under the department of rural development has been appointed as secretary in the department of disinvestment in place of Sumit Bose, a 1976 batch MP cadre IAS.

b) Alok Rawat, a 1977 batch Sikkim cadre IAS, presently secretary, UPSC, has been appointed as secretary (coordination and public grievances) in Cabinet Secretariat in  place of Ajit Kumar Seth who was elevated as cabinet secretary.

c) K Jose Cyriac, a 1977 batch Kerala cadre IAS, presently special secretary in the department of revenue has been appointed as secretary, department of chemicals and petrochemicals.

d) AK Upadhyay, a 1975 batch Bihar cadre IAS, presently secretary, department of youth affairs, has been appointed as secretary in the ministry of road transport and highways in place of RS Gujral.

e) The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has approved the repatriation of Sanjay Mitra, a 1982 batch West Bengal cadre IAS and joint secretary to PM with effect from July 4, 2011 to his cadre.

f) Rakesh Kacker, a 1977 batch Tamil Nadu cadre IAS, presently special secretary, department of consumer affairs has been appointed as secretary, ministry of food processing industries in place of Ashok Sinha, a 1975 batch Maharashtra cadre IAS who is retiring on June 30, 2011.