What is the name of REC chairman? DoPT issues clarifications 3 months after PV Ramesh took over

FOUR months after the Central government released an order saying that the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved “Dr P.V. Ramesh Babu’s” appointment as the chairman and managing director (CMD) of Rural Electrification Corporation (REC), the government on Friday released an corrigendum stating his name is…

“Dr P.V. Ramesh”, meaning it's not Dr P.V. Ramesh Babu as was mentioned in the original order. “In partial modification of this office communication No 36/02/2016-EO (SM-1) dated 05.12.2016 paragraph (vii) thereof, be read as “P.V.Ramesh, IAS (AP:85), presently in the cadre as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), Rural Electrification Corporation Ltd (REC Ltd), Ministry of Power”. Ramesh joined the REC as its CMD in the first week of January this year which means, the clarifications have come only after three months of his joining the post.

In the original DoPT order issued on December 5, 2016, the officer’s name was mentioned as Dr P.V. Ramesh Babu. The same order then had the details about the ACC’s approval of appointment of 11 officers out of which Ramesh’s name was the seventh (vii) in the sequence.

Significantly, the official record in the DoPT (executive record sheet of IAS officers) is still carrying the officer’s name as Dr P Venkata Ramesh Babu. He is 58 years old, and hails from Andhra Pradesh.

A trained doctor from the Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, he was special chief secretary, environment, forest, science and technology and development commissioner in the government of Andhra Pradesh before moving to New Delhi to take over as REC’s CMD.

He also served as principal finance secretary, principal secretary in the department of health and family welfare and commissioner of industries in the government of Andhra Pradesh. One of the most important assignments that Ramesh handled was his heading the state reorganization department that reorganized the state of Andhra Pradesh.

On deputation, he also worked in United Nations Organization for about 13 years. During that period, he formulated national development strategies and plans, programme design, supervision, monitoring, evaluation, fund administration and programme management, according to his profile in REC’s official website. He was also with IFAD, UNOPS and UNFPA. During his UN innings, he worked in Asia Pacific, Africa, Europe and also in New York.