“…Times of gunny bags and suitcases gone”: How senior bureaucrats are reacting to govt’s surgical strike on black money

New Rs 2000 note to be introduced on Nov 10, 2016

WHEN prime minister Narendra Modi announced on Tuesday night that the legal tender character of bank notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 would get cancelled from that mid-might, there were shock, confusion, and also a sense of happiness among people across society. Former IPS officer and Lt Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi said in Twitter, “…Times of gunny bags and suitcases gone”, talking about the end of decades old practice of carrying illicit cash. BoI here presents how some of the senior most bureaucrats and former bureaucrats reacted in social media to this surprise government move: 

Black Money: New panel comprises revenue secretary, CBI director, IB director, CBDT chairman among others

PM with cabinet secretary Seth and principal secretary Misra

THE Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved setting up of Special Investigating Team (SIT) headed by former judge of the Supreme Court of India, Justice MB Shah, to unearth black money stashed abroad. Only four days ago, the apex court had directed the Centre to keep all papers relating to black money in the safe custody of an officer, not below the rank of revenue secretary in the backdrop of the last Thursday’s fire at Shastri Bhawan. Incidentally, current revenue secretary Rajiv Takru is a Gujarat cadre IAS of…

List of agencies dealing with black money; also on intelligence “think-tank”

THE White Paper on Black Money presented in Lok Sabha by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday listed out the agencies that deal with unaccounted wealth and its consequences in one way or the other. Is there a “Think Tank” among intelligence agencies? Yes, there is one. Read on:

Ex-IRS officer BV Kumar writes on nuances of black money transactions

BV Kumar, a 1958 batch Indian Revenue Service officer, has said in a recently published book about business houses “maintaining” Members of Parliament to influence policies. In his book, “The Darker Side of Black Money”, Kumar said how large industrial houses also fund politicians in the Opposition to further their agenda.

Kumar’s observations are considered important as he had worked as Economic Intelligence Bureau director general among others. He also served as the director general of Narcotics Control Bureau.

Kumar is a contemporary of former National Security Adviser and IB chief MK Narayanan. Narayanan who is now West Bengal Governor writes in the foreword that the publication of book could not have been better timed, referring to the current wave of corruption-related scams. Narayanan was a key aide to PM during the UPA-I regime.

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Defence Service officer debarred

Mahesh Kumar Gupta, a 1984 batch officer of Indian Defence Service of Engineers has been debarred from deputation for a posting under Central staffing for five years as he had failed to join as director in the ministry of textile after being appointed there. Mr Gupta is also debarred from taking up any foreign posting or consultancy work during this same period.

Action and Appointments

a) Anand Agarwal, a 1999 batch Indian Defence Accounts Service officer has been appointed as deputy secretary in the department of telecommunications.