IT'S HISTORIC: IRS-IT officer Sanjay Kumar Mishra becomes interim ED chief

ON SATURDAY, a history was made when an Indian Revenue Service (IRS-IT) officer, Sanjay Kumar Mishra, was made in-charge of Enforcement Directorate, a financial investigation agency that comes under the department of revenue. The ED, which came into existence way back in 1956 -- first as an “enforcement unit” -- was always headed by an IAS till 2016 when IPS Karnal Singh was made its director. Now Sanjay Kumar Mishra will be the first Income-Tax officer to head the agency though technically, he will be an…

interim chief for three months while holding the permanent post as ED’s principal special director.

It’s not known why Mishra is appointed only as an interim director though some reports suggest that he will be empanelled as a union additional secretary during this period of three months before getting elevated as its permanent chief. 

Unlike some earlier speculations, Karnal Singh, a 1984 batch IPS officer, who retired on Saturday, did not gent an extension. Now, Mishra, also a 1984 batch officer belonging to IRS-IT service, took charge. 

Misra, who was the chief commissioner in the Income-Tax department in New Delhi, is considered to be close to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Misra plated a key role in procuring the HSBC-Geneva list of Swiss bank account holders in addition to supervising politically sensitive income-tax probes of NDTV and National Herald.

Meanwhile, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) last week approved the entrustment of additional charge of the post of director general (DG), National Productivity Council (NPC), to Ms Vandana Kumar, 1992 batch IDAS officer and joint secretary in the department of industrial policy and promotion for a period of six months beyond June 30, 2018 or till a new incumbent joins the post, whichever is earlier. 

Also, Krishna Deo Prasad Sahu, 2005 batch Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officer, has been appointed as assistant director general (ADG) (deputy secretary/director level), for a period of 5 years and by temporarily downgrading the post of DOG (JS level), UIDAI, Regional Office, Ranchi, initially for a period of two years in place of Nandana Munshi, 1991 batch Indian Audit and Accounts Service officer.