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Speculation abounds as ED Chief’s term nears end, successor selection in progress

By
LO Bureau
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As the extended term of the incumbent Chief of the Enforcement Directorate, Sanjay Kumar Mishra (IRS-IT:1984), approaches its end on September 15, there is a flurry of speculation and conjecture within the corridors of power.

Sources indicate that the Central government, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s timeline, is in the final stages of selecting Mishra’s successor. It is reported that two names have been submitted for an Intelligence Bureau (IB) report and other necessary clearances. Subsequently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to make the ultimate decision later this week. The two potential candidates in consideration are Pravin Kumar (IRS-IT:1987), a Member of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), and Seemanchala Dash (IRS-IT:1988), formerly the Principal Special Director in the Enforcement Directorate and Adviser to the Enforcement Directorate at the IMF.

Several other names are circulating as possible contenders, including Pankaj Kumar Mishra (IRS IT: 1989) and Rashmi Shukla (IPS:1988:MH), with the latter being considered a dark horse with strong potential. According to another set of sources, Rahul Naveen (IRS-IT:1993), the Special Director in the Enforcement Directorate, was also among the shortlisted candidates.

In the current scenario, Pravin Kumar appears to be the frontrunner, although the Modi government has a history of surprising many by selecting dark horse candidates for such positions.

Also Read: Supreme Court allows ED Director to continue till Sept 15

Former IAS officer takes political plunge in Rajasthan as co-convenor of Congress Manifesto Committee

By
LO Bureau
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Former IAS officer Teeka Ram Meena (IAS:1988:KL), who previously served as the Chief Electoral Officer of Kerala overseeing several elections in the state, has entered the realm of electoral politics in his home state of Rajasthan.

Last week, Mr. Meena, a former Additional Chief Secretary, officially joined the Congress party in Delhi. He has been appointed as the co-convenor of the Manifesto Committee for the upcoming December elections in Rajasthan. This committee is chaired by the seasoned Congress leader C. P. Joshi.

During his extensive career in Kerala, Mr. Meena held various significant positions, including that of the State Agricultural Production Commissioner. Notably, he published the Malayalam version of his autobiography, titled “Tholkilla Njan,” last year. The book garnered attention in political circles and even led to P. Sasi, the political secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, serving him a legal notice over alleged slanderous references.

Modi govt considers amendment allowing private sector executives as TRAI Chairperson

By
LO Bureau
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The Central government is contemplating a crucial amendment to the TRAI Act, 1997, with the aim of expanding the pool of potential candidates for key regulatory roles. This proposed amendment would set specific criteria allowing senior corporate executives to assume the position of Chairperson of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Under the forthcoming Telecommunications Bill, the contemplated changes may establish that the TRAI’s Chairperson can be selected from the private sector. According to insiders, the eligibility criteria for this position may require candidates from the private sector to have held board positions or served as chief executive officers, with a minimum of 30 years of professional experience.

This amendment would essentially modify Section 4 of the TRAI Act, 1997, which empowers the Central government to appoint the Chairperson and members of the regulatory body with “special knowledge of, and professional experience in, telecommunication, industry, finance, accountancy, law, management, or consumer affairs.”

Historically, there have been no appointments from the private sector for this role due to the absence of clearly defined eligibility criteria. However, sources suggest that the contemplated changes signify TRAI’s evolution as a regulator and its potential effectiveness under private sector leadership.

Currently, TRAI members must have held the position of Secretary or Additional Secretary to the Government of India, or an equivalent post in the central or state government, for at least three years. However, no specific rules exist for the appointment of the Chairperson.

Although the TRAI Act technically allowed for the appointment of a Chairperson from the private sector, concerns about potential conflicts of interest have prevented such appointments in the past. Nonetheless, the current considerations reflect a shifting perspective within the Central government towards opening key regulatory roles to private sector professionals.

The current TRAI Chairperson, P D Vaghela, is a Gujarat-cadre IAS officer who previously served as the Secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals. His predecessor, R S Sharma, a Jharkhand-cadre 1978-batch IAS officer, held the position of IT Secretary from 2014 to 2015.

TRAI’s inaugural Chairperson, S S Sodhi, served from 1997 to 2000 and was a former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court. The second Chairperson, M S Verma, who retired in 2003, was the former Chairman of the State Bank of India. To date, they are the only two non-IAS officers who have held the position of TRAI Chairperson.

WB: 20 IAS officers shifted, 13 Districts get new DMs

By
LO Bureau
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The West Bengal government on Tuesday (12.09.2023) announced a significant administrative reshuffle, transferring and assigning new posts to 20 IAS officers and two WBCS officers. The most noteworthy aspect of this reshuffle is the transfer of 14 District Magistrates, marking a substantial restructuring of the state’s administrative framework.

The names of the officers and their postings are as follows:

  1. S Arun Prasad (IAS:2011:WB), District Magistrate, Paschim Bardhaman, has been transferred and posted as District Magistrate, Nadia.
  2. Ponnambalam S (IAS:2012:WB), District Magistrate, Darjeeling and Principal Secretary, GTA, has been transferred and posted as District Magistrate, Paschim Bardhaman.
  3. Dr. Preeti Goyal (IAS:2013:WB), Additional District Magistrate, North 24 Parganas, has been transferred and posted as District Magistrate, Darjeeling.
  4. Shama Praveen (IAS:2013:WB), Additional District Magistrate, North 24 Parganas, has been transferred and posted as District Magistrate, Jalpaiguri.
  5. Mukta Arya (IAS:2008:WB), District Magistrate, Howrah, has been transferred and posted as District Magistrate, Hooghly.
  6. Deepap Priya (IAS:2011:WB), District Magistrate, Hooghly, has been transferred and posted as District Magistrate, Howrah.
  7. Siyad N (IAS:2014:WB), Additional District Magistrate, South 24 Paraganas, has been transferred and posted as District Magistrate, Bankura.
  8. Arvind Kumar Mina (IAS:2010:WB), District Magistrate, Uttar Dinajpur, has been transferred and posted as District Magistrate, Cooch Behar.
  9. Surendra Kumar Meena (IAS:2011:WB), District Magistrate, Alipurduar, has been transferred and posted as District Magistrate, Uttar Dinajpur.
  10. R Vimala (IAS:2010:WB), District Magistrate, Kalimpong, has been transferred and posted as District Magistrate, Alipurduar.
  11. Balasubramanian T (IAS:2013:WB), IG, Registration & Commissioner of Stamp Revenue and ex-officio Special Secretary, Finance Department, has been transferred and posted as District Magistrate, Kalimpong.
  12. Priyanka Singla (IAS:2012:WB), District Magistrate, Purba Bardhaman, has been transferred and posted as Special Secretary, Disaster Management & Civil Defence Deptt.
  13. Shashank Sethi (IAS:2010:WB), District Magistrate, Nadia, has been transferred and posted as Senior Special Secretary, Tourism Deptt.
  14. Pawan Kadyan (IAS:2012:WB), District Magistrate, Cooch Behar, has been transferred and posted as Special Secretary, Finance Deptt.
  15. Tanvir Afzal (WBCS-Exe), OSD, West Bengal State Election Commission, has been transferred and posted as District Magistrate, Purba Medinipur.
  16. K Radhika Aiyar (IAS:2011:WB), District Magistrate, Bankura, has been transferred and posted as Project Director, KEIIP.
  17. Moumita Godara Basu (IAS:2007:WB), District Magistrate, Jalpaiguri, has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Deptt.
  18. Harishanker Panicker (IAS:2013:WB), Additional District Magistrate, Paschim Bardhaman, has been transferred and posted as IG, Registration & Commissioner of Stamp Revenue.
  19. Purnendu Kumar Maji (WBSC-Exe), District Magistrate, Purba Medinipur, has been transferred and posted as District Magistrate, Purba Bardhaman.
  20. Suresh Kumar Jagat (IAS:2018:WB), SDO, Kalna, Purba Bardhaman, has been transferred and posted as Joint Secretary, Forests Deptt.
  21. Shubham Aggarwal (IAS:2020:WB), OSD to Chief Secretary, has been transferred and posted as SDO, Kalna, Purba Bardhaman.
  22. Ashish Kumar (IAS:2020:WB), OSD, Panchayat and Rural Development Department, has been transferred and posted as SDO, Basirhat, North Paraganas.

Chhattisgarh: State govt shuffles responsibilities for two IAS officers

By
LO Bureau
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Ratanlal Dangi IPS

The Chhattisgarh government on Tuesday (12.09.2023) implemented changes in the assignments of two IAS officers. One officer was relieved of their additional responsibilities in a specific post, while the other was entrusted with the additional duties of the same department.

The names of the officers and their postings are as follows:

  1. Avanish Kumar Sharan (IAS:2012:CG), Director, Technical Education, Employment and Training, has been given additional charge of CEO, CG State Skill Development Authority.
  2. Divya Umesh Mishra (IAS:2012:CG), Director, Women, and Child Development with additional charges of CEO, CG State Skill Development Authority and Director, Geology and Mining, has been relieved from the additional charge of CEO, CG State Skill Development Authority.

Tripura govt relieves Sudipta Das for central deputation

By
LO Bureau
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The Tripura government on Monday took the decision to release Sudipta Das (IPS:2012:TR) from his position as Superintendent of Police, Economic Offence. His services have been made available to the Government of India for his appointment as Group Commander (SP level) in the National Security Guard (NSG) on a deputation basis. This appointment is initially for a period of five years, starting from the date he assumes the new role, or until further instructions are received.

On August 21, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order appointing Mr. Das to this position for a five-year term and requested the state government to promptly release him from his current responsibilities to facilitate his transition to the new role.

Haryana: J Ganesan gets addl. charge of MD, HIHMC Ganaur

By
LO Bureau
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The Haryana government, on Monday, entrusted senior IAS officer J Ganesan (IAS:2006:HY) with an additional responsibility. While currently serving as Managing Director of HAFED and Managing Director of HARTRON, he has been given the additional role of Managing Director for the Haryana International Horticultural Marketing Corporation (HIHMC) in Ganaur. This additional charge relieves T L Satyaprakash (IAS:2002:HY) of his previous responsibilities in the said position.

Vinit Kumar appointed as CVO, NEPA Limited

By
LO Bureau
-

Vinit Kumar (IRS-C&CE:2013) has been designated as the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) for the NEPA Limited, Nepanagar (MP), which falls under the Ministry of Heavy Industries. This appointment is effective for a duration of three years, as indicated in an official order released by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Tuesday, September 12, 2023. The competent authority has granted approval for Mr. Kumar’s appointment, commencing from the date he assumes charge of the position or until further directives are issued, whichever comes first.

Ajay Kumar Sahani appointed as CVO, IREDA

By
LO Bureau
-

Ajay Kumar Sahani (IRSME:2008) has been designated as the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) for the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd (IREDA), Delhi, which falls under the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy. This appointment is effective for a duration of three years, as indicated in an official order released by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Tuesday, September 12, 2023. The competent authority has granted approval for Mr. Sahani’s appointment, commencing from the date he assumes charge of the position or until further directives are issued, whichever comes first.

Deepika Lohia Aran appointed as CVO, NIFT Delhi

By
LO Bureau
-

Deepika Lohia Aran (IOFS:2002) has been designated as the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) for the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Delhi, which falls under the Ministry of Textiles. This appointment is effective for a duration of three years, as indicated in an official order released by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Tuesday, September 12, 2023. The competent authority has granted approval for Ms. Aran’s appointment, commencing from the date she assumes charge of the position or until further directives are issued, whichever comes first.

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