OSD/PS of 3 ministers relieved; they are joining other ministries under central staffing scheme

AT LEAST two union secretaries are on leave this week forcing the DoPT to give additional charge to fellow secretaries. Meanwhile, private secretaries or OSDs of three ministers —Dr Satya Pal Singh, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti and Radha Mohan Singh— are joining new ministries under the Central Staffing Scheme. Here below are the details:

Dr Asha Ram Sihag, 1983 batch Himachal Pradesh cadre IAS, presently secretary in the department of heavy industry, has been given additional charge of the post of secretary, ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) from May 11 to 22, 2019, when incumbent Dr Arun Kumar Panda, a 1984 batch Odisha cadre IAS, is on leave. Also, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, 1984 batch Assam cadre IAS, presently secretary of the ministry of power, has been bestowed additional charge of the post of secretary, department of telecommunications, from May 8 to 19, 2019, when telecom secretary, Aruna Sundararajan, 1982 batch Kerala cadre IAS, is on leave.

The government had meanwhile curtailed the tenure of N Ashok Kumar, 2004 batch Manipur cadre IAS, as the OSD to the MoS, human resources, Dr Satya Pal Singh, and appointed him as a director in the department of commerce for the remaining period of his deputation till May 27, 2023.

In a similar development, 2008 batch IAS, Ms. Ashima Jain’s tenure as private secretary to MoS, food processing industries, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, has been curtailed. She is then appointed as deputy secretary in the department of economic affairs (DEA) under the ministry of finance, under the Central Staffing Scheme till February 18, 2022.

Also, the government has curtailed the tenure of Ms. Durga Sakthi Nagpal, 2010 batch Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS, as the OSD to union agriculture minister, Radha Mohan Singh. She is appointed as under secretary (till July 1, 2019) and then as deputy secretary to the department of commerce till January 14, 2021.

Also, Mahendra Kumar, a 1999 batch Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers officer, has been appointed as director in the ministry of labour and employment. Further, Nikhil Kumar Kanodia, 2003 batch Odisha cadre IPS officer, has been appointed as director in the department of promotion of industry and internal trade.