Subrahmanyam posted OSD in Union Commerce Ministry
RAW, IB heads get one-year extension
Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, May 27: Union Home Ministry today approved the appointment of Arun Kumar Mehta – 1988 batch IAS officer of AGMUT cadre as new Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory.
“Arun Kumar Mehta will take over as Chief Secretary, J&K from the date B V R Subrahmanyam relinquishes the charge and until further orders”, says the D.O letter No. 14016/14/2021-UTS-1 dated today written by Union Home Secretary, Ajay Bhalla to the office of Lieutenant Governor J&K, Manoj Sinha.
Prior to this, the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval for appointment of BVR Subrahmanyam, present Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir as Officer on Special Duty in Union Commerce Ministry.
According to an order issued by Srinivas R Katikithala, Secretary, ACC bearing No. 36/01/2021-EO (SM-I)(3), “Subrahmanyam, 1987-batch IAS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre will take over as new Commerce Secretary after the retirement of incumbent Anup Wadhawan on June 20”.
EXCELSIOR had exclusively reported in today’s edition that Subrahmanyam will move to Centre on an important post.
Subrahmanyam will be replacing Wadhawan – 1985 batch IAS officer, who took over as Commerce Secretary on May, 2018 and was convenor of the task force, which was assigned the job by Prime Minister to recommend a five year plan for revival of economy.
Mehta, who will be taking over as Chief Secretary has introduced several path-breaking reforms in the financial sector during his tenure as Financial Commissioner (Finance) and has been the brain behind the Jammu & Kashmir Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (JKIDFC), which ensured fast track completion of several developmental projects that were languishing since decades.
He is also credited with ensuring 100 % transparency in financial transactions with online monitoring and enforcing fiscal discipline in the Union Territory.
Meanwhile, the ACC has also granted one-year extension to Intelligence Bureau (IB) head Arvind Kumar, and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the country’s external intelligence agency, chief Samant Goel beyond their current two-year tenure ending on June 30.
Kumar and Goel are experts on Pakistan and had contributed actively in the February 26, 2019 Balakot airstrike on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camps across the Line of Control.
A 1984-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, Kumar has served on important desks in the IB, including Kashmir and Left-Wing Extremism, while Goel, also of the same batch but from the Punjab cadre, has served on the Pakistan desk and on groups working against the interest of country from Europe.
Apart from designated charters such as Kashmir and Left Wing Extremism, Kumar has spent much time in planning operations and strategic moves in certain insurgency areas in the North East. He is also recipient of the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
Goel looked after the security of the Punjab Chief Minister in 2000 and 2001, besides holding other important posts both in his State cadre and at the Centre. He is considered an expert on issues related to the Punjab militancy and Pakistan, and has played an important role in checking militancy in the State during the 1990s. He is a recipient of the Police Medal for Gallantry and the Police Medal for Meritorious Service, and had joined RAW in March 2001.
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