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PESB recommends Subhasis Sengupta as Director (Operations) of RINL

By
LO Bureau
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The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has recommended Subhasis Sengupta for appointment as Director (Operations) at Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL). The recommendation was made following interviews conducted by the board on March 10, 2026.

Sengupta is currently serving as Chief General Manager (Projects) at DSP, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). His name will now be forwarded to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for final approval, subject to vigilance clearance and completion of other prescribed formalities.

If approved, he will succeed Salim G Purushothaman, who is scheduled to retire on May 31, 2026. Purushothaman has been serving as Director (Operations) of RINL since March 2025.

The following 12 applicants were interviewed in the selection meeting :

  1. Kontham Sudhakar, General Manager (Energy, Enviroment & Utilities) I/c, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited
  2. V Chitti Babu, General Manager (Utilities)I/c, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited
  3. R Venkatesh, General Manager (CO&CCP) I/c-HOD, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited
  4. Pola Phani Gopal, General Manager (MMSM) I/c / MMSM Department – (E7), Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited
  5. SKVN Acharyulu, General Manager (SMS)-i/c and HOD, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited
  6. Balasubramanian Krishnan, Deputy General Manager ( Technical ), Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited
  7. Dr R Sivakumar, Deputy General Manager (Research and Development), Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited
  8. Mettupalayam Ramaya Gowder Subbaian Sudesh Kumar, Deputy General Manager (Plant Design), Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited
  9. Subhasis Sengupta, Chief General Manager (Projects), DSP, Steel Authority Of India Limited
  10. Pradipta Kumar Behera, Additional General Manager, NTPC Limited
  11. Vivek Kumar, Executive Director Place – CCI Corporate Office, New Delhi & CCI Tandur, Telangana, Cement Corporation Of India Limited
  12. Ashok Kumar Mishra, Chief General Manager Head of Works (Donimalai), NMDC Limited

SC grants anticipatory bail to T Prabhakar Rao in Telangana phone tapping case

By
LO Bureau
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T Prabhakar Rao IPS

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (March 10, 2026) granted anticipatory bail to former IPS officer T Prabhakar Rao in the alleged phone tapping case in Telangana. The order protects him from arrest while the investigation continues.

The case relates to allegations of illegal phone surveillance through the state’s intelligence network. Investigators say phones of several people were intercepted without following the required legal procedure.

Prabhakar Rao is a retired IPS officer of 2001 batch. He earlier served as chief of the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) in Telangana. He has been named the main accused in the case.

The probe is looking into claims that intelligence resources were used to monitor political leaders and some other individuals during the previous regime in the state.

In December 2025, Rao surrendered before the police after directions from the Supreme Court. He later appeared before investigators for questioning.

Officials questioned him for several hours during the investigation. Sources said he did not give clear answers to some questions when confronted with material related to the alleged phone tapping.

With the Supreme Court granting anticipatory bail, Rao has got interim protection from arrest. The investigation into the alleged surveillance network is still underway. Agencies are also examining the possible role of other officials.

Tug of war on within bureaucrats responsible for Amaravati works

By
LO Bureau
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Differences within bureaucrats

According to media reports, in the midst of the ongoing construction works for Andhra Pradesh’s capital, Amaravati, a power struggle of sorts, or a tug of war, is on within the IAS officers heading different departments assigned to look after the capital works.

Differences among bureaucrats are said to have cropped up over the redistribution of authority, so much so that it is being equated to a cold war.

 The main reason behind it is Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s decision to transfer several responsibilities from the AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) to Amaravati Development Corporation Limited (ADCL) and the recently formed Amaravati Growth and Infrastructure Corporation Limited (AGICL).

During the tenure of former APCRDA Commissioner Katamneni Bhaskar, the Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) infrastructure works in Amaravati were under APCRDA’s jurisdiction. After Kannababu took charge, these works were transferred to ADCL. 

It resulted in the status of the APCRDA being largely reduced to the role of a land and planning authority. According to sources, APCRDA Commissioner Kannababu is not happy with the reduced powers. 

The fact is the friction that was already brewing between senior officers of APCRDA and ADCL got intensified with the recent transfer of powers. Both sides are blaming each other for trying to curtail each other’s authority.

This fight is coming in the way of the completion of works due to a delay in the billing process. The result saw the issue reaching the state government, which subsequently directed that all billing processes be finalized directly through ADCL.

The entire confusion has developed due to a lack of coordination among different departments. Farmers say unresolved problems related to land pooling, compensation, and infrastructure remain pending due to institutional confusion.

Sources say dissatisfaction is also growing among public representatives from the capital region.

Sources indicate that APCRDA Commissioner Kannababu allegedly attempted to reduce the powers of ADCL Managing Director Lakshmi Parthasarathy.

The matter reportedly reached Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who is said to have refused any proposal to curtail the authority of the ADCL MD.

At present, APCRDA’s responsibilities are largely limited to land management and planning approvals. However, even these planning powers may soon be curtailed.

The Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) is reportedly moving to bring layout approvals under its jurisdiction, which many officials feel will further weaken APCRDA’s authority, as even after approval by IAS-level officers in APCRDA, the proposals would require clearance from a director-level officer in DTCP.

IAS Vinod Seshan appointed Government Nominee Director on ONGC Board

By
LO Bureau
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Vinod Seshan IAS

Vinod Seshan (IAS:2008:AM) has been appointed as Government Nominee Director on the Board of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC). Seshan is currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

The appointment was approved by the company’s board. ONGC disclosed the decision to the National Stock Exchange of India and BSE Limited under Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015.

According to the company, the appointment will be for a period of three years. It will remain valid on a co-terminus basis or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Chandigarh Administrator orders implementation of revised financial powers

By
LO Bureau
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Chandigarh Administration

After being empowered to approve schemes and projects worth up to Rs 100 crore, the Chandigarh Administrator, Gulab Chand Kataria, has directed all UT departments to implement the revised delegation of financial powers. The fresh directive is aimed at formalizing the enhanced financial powers that will ensure faster project clearances and more efficient execution of works on the ground level.

The move is in continuation of a recent Centre’s directive empowering the Punjab Governor and UT Administrator to approve schemes and projects worth up to Rs 100 crore.

Under the revised delegation of financial powers issued in February, the UT Administrator can now approve projects up to Rs 100 crore, the Chief Secretary up to Rs 50 crore, administrative secretaries up to Rs 20 crore, and the Chief Engineer up to Rs 3 crore. The Heads of the Departments (HoDs) have been empowered to approve works up to Rs 1.5 crore.

With more financial powers in hand, senior officers and bureaucrats will now be required to strictly adhere to the General Financial Rules (GFR), CPWD Code, Works Manual, economy instructions, and all other applicable Central government norms. For PPP projects, only Government of India guidelines will apply.

Such delegation had been effected in 2018 too, but the earlier delegation had significantly lower limits, with the then Adviser (now designated as Chief Secretary) holding powers ranging from Rs 5 crore to Rs 20 crore depending on functions. Administrative secretaries had powers from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 5 crore, and HoDs from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 1 crore.

The govt sources point out that these revised powers are meant to empower officers, both administrative and technical, to take timely financial decisions without procedural handicaps, while still following all norms and the Central Government’s rules. With expanded authority, monitoring of especially developmental works will now be far more aggressive.

The Administrator has constituted two key committees to assist in administrative approvals.

There will be two committees to streamline the execution of projects. The Committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, will oversee projects over Rs 5 cr, and the Committee headed by the Finance Secretary will finalise projects up to Rs 5 cr.

79th Batch IRS (IT) Officer Trainees Call on President Droupadi Murmu

By
LO Bureau
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Officer trainees of the 79th batch of the Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday (March 10, 2026).

Interacting with the young officers, the President said direct taxes are very important for the country’s development. They provide steady revenue to the government. This money supports spending on infrastructure, education, healthcare and welfare schemes.

She said a fair and transparent tax system also promotes equality and supports inclusive growth.

The President noted that the role of IRS officers is not limited to tax collection. They also deal with complex financial transactions. They track illegal financial flows and examine complicated corporate structures.

Murmu said these responsibilities make IRS officers important partners in India’s journey towards the goal of Viksit Bharat. She added that officers often have to take decisions that must be fair, efficient and based on a proper understanding of business activities.

She also advised the officer trainees to act with caution and responsibility. According to her, a good officer balances enforcement with facilitation and authority with humility.

The President urged them to use their authority with restraint and remain committed to constitutional values.

The officer trainees of the IRS (Income Tax) are currently undergoing induction training at the National Academy of Direct Taxes. The batch also includes two trainee officers from the Royal Bhutan Service.

Deepak Mishra prematurely repatriated to parent cadre

By
LO Bureau
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Kerala municipality

Deepak Mishra (IFoS:1996:KL), currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, has been prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre, Kerala.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Tuesday (March 10, 2026), the competent authority has approved the proposal to repatriate him prematurely to his parent cadre to enable him to avail the benefit of promotion in the cadre.

Notably, Mishra has been serving in the position since October 2022, when he joined on central deputation for a period of five years. His tenure at the Centre was scheduled to end in October 2027. However, he is being repatriated to his parent cadre avail the promotion benefit.

Maha Assembly Speaker orders revocation of IAS Devender Singh’s suspension

By
LO Bureau
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M Devender Singh IAS

In an important development, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar has directed the state government to revoke the suspension of IAS officer M. Devender Singh (IAS:2011:MH). The officer had been placed under suspension ten days ago by the presiding officer of the state Assembly following his alleged failure to brief Environment Minister Pankaja Munde.

The development is said to have been preceded by high-level discussions in the Legislative Assembly involving senior ministers and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The controversy started during the first week of the Budget Session after a heated debate broke out in the Assembly over the sharp rise in pollution levels in Chandrapur district in the Vidarbha region. Environment Minister Pankaja Munde told the House that senior officials of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) did not brief her on the issue during the Assembly proceedings.

Following this, presiding officer Dilip Mama Lande ordered the suspension of MPCB’s Member Secretary M. Devender Singh.

The General Administration Department (GAD) of the state govt issued the suspension order within 24 hours, on February 27.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil later informed the House that the concerned officers, Singh and MPCB joint director Satish Padwal, had presented the facts before the Assembly Speaker with regrets over the incident and an assurance that such an incident would not recur in the future.

The officers also submitted a written explanation to the Speaker and the House detailing the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Narwekar later said, “As the concerned officer has expressed regret over the lapse, the state government is directed to revoke the suspension of the concerned officer.”

CM Devendra Fadnavis said that since the Speaker had withdrawn the earlier order, the government would take the necessary steps to revoke the suspension.

Swapna Devireddy prematurely repatriated to parent cadre

By
LO Bureau
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Swapna Devireddy (IRS-IT:2010), currently serving as Director in the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, has been prematurely repatriated to her parent cadre. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Monday (March 9, 2026), the competent authority has approved the proposal to repatriate her prematurely to her parent cadre on personal grounds with the provision of extended cooling-off.

Notably, Devireddy has been serving in the department since February 2023 when she was appointed as Deputy Secretary for a period of four years. She was later re-designated as Director.

Her tenure in the department was scheduled to end in February 2027. However, she has been repatriated to her parent cadre nearly a year ahead of the completion of her central deputation.

Madhya Pradesh facing shortage Of 68 IAS despite larger share this year

By
LO Bureau
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Shortage of IAS in MP

Despite the fact that Madhya Pradesh is going to get a larger share of IAS officers (after the results of the UPSC exam declared on Friday) this time than it had earlier, the state will continue to face a shortage of 68 officers.

The state has nearly 459 sanctioned posts of IAS officers, out of which 320 posts are filled through direct recruitment and 139 posts through promotion.

At present, only 391 officers of both categories are working in the state. Among them, 265 are directly recruited, and 126 officers are promotees.

The MP’s woes are heightened due to retirements. 18 officers retired last year, and a large number of state cadre officers will retire in the next three years, resulting in an additional shortage of IAS officers.

The situation is the same for the State Administrative Service (SAS) officers, as they are unlikely to be promoted to the IAS because of a ban on promotion. For the SAS, 873 posts have been sanctioned, out of which 436 posts are filled up by direct recruits, and the rest, 437 posts, are manned through promotion.

Under the current scenario only half of the sanctioned posts of the SAS officers are working in the state.

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