babuz no 4: Finance secretary Ashok Chawla is India’s fourth most powerful bureaucrat

HE IS one of the rare breed of senior officers in India who is a darling both to the Congress and the BJP leadership. Finance secretary Ashok Chawla, a 1973 batch IAS from Gujarat cadre, would have been equally powerful today, had the BJP come to power after the last general election. Yes, he is babuz no 4, or India’s fourth most powerful bureaucrat, according to feedback received by babu blogger from senior bureaucrats and politicians who have a direct knowledge about equations in Delhi’s power corridor. Former civil aviation secretary, who had earlier played a successful innings in North Block first as a an additional secretary and then as a special secretary in the ministry of finance, Mr Chawla returned to Finmin in September 2008 as a secretary of department of economic affairs (DEA) only to be elevated as finance secretary eight months later, leaving his batch-mate and revenue secretary P V Bhide behind. No wonder, Mr Chawla who is in full charge of the department of financial services which is now headed by an additional secretary level officer, was also given additional charge of the ministry of disinvestment for sometime. Significantly, Mr Chawla and urban development secretary M Ramachandran are the two key contenders for cabinet secretary’s post to be vacant next year. Babu blogger had first reported on April 28, 2009 that DEA secretary Ashok Chawla would be India’s finance secretary a fortnight before the announcement of his appointment. Read, “DEA secretary Ashok Chawla likely to be next Finance Secretary”. Also read babu blogger’s post on June 23, 2009, “Finance secretary Ashok Chawla given additional charge of disinvestment; now controls 3 out of 5 Finmin departments”. Babus on course: Last date of application for a training programme in Japan extended Here’s a warning bell for those officers who are eligible to apply for a two-month-long training programme on solid waste management in Japan, but have not sent their applications so far. In fact, department of personnel & training (DoPT) has issued a circular announcing that the last date of applying for the course to be held in Japan from October 4 to November 27, 2009, had been extended, but officers should now apply immediately. To cross-check whether you are eligible to apply, please long on the website, persmin.nic.in

Action & Appointments: Ashok Chawla to hold additional charge of revenue department for 11 days

a) ASHOK Chawla, a 1973 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre and current finance secretary, will hold additional charge of the post of Secretary, department of revenue under the ministry of finance during the period from 17th August, 2009 to 28th August, 2009 when revenue secretary P V Bhide, a 1973 batch Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS, will remain on leave. b) The extension of appointment of Dr C Chandramouli, a 1985 batch Tamil Nadu cadre IAS as OSD in the Office of the RGI, in the rank and pay of Joint Secretary has been approved for a period of three months beyond July 9, 2009. c) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved, ex-post-facto, for entrusting additional charge of the post of Development Commissioner, Dahej Special Economic Zone under Department of Commerce to S N Patil IOFS (1988), Joint Development Commissioner, Kandla SEZ, in addition to his own charge, for a period of three months beyond June 15, 2009 or till such time as the post is filled up on a regular basis. d) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has not approved the proposal of the Ministry of Coal for extension of tenure of Rajiv Sharma, a 1976 batch IAS and additional secretary in the ministry of coal. e) The inter cadre deputation of Ajoy Sharma, a Punjab Cadre IAS of 1999 batch from Punjab to AGMUT cadre for appointment as Joint Secretary (Finance), Chandigarh for a period of three years, has been approved. f) The Inter-Cadre deputation of Har Sahay Meena, a 1997 batch IAS of Tamil Nadu cadre, from Tamil Nadu to Rajasthan cadre has been approved for a period of 3 years. g) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of the ministry of home affairs for in-situ upgradation of the following officers belonging to the 1974 and 1975 batches of the Indian Police Service as Director General of Police in the pay scale of Rs 75500-80000. They are: (i) R K Mathur, IPS (CH, 1974), presently working as Director, NCRB(ADG level) (ii) R Bagchi, IPS (WB, 1975), presently working as Additional Director in IB. (iii) A B Mathur, IPS (MT, 1975), presently working as Additional Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat. (iv) O P S Malik, IPS (UP, 1975), presently working as DG, NCB (ADG level).

Key North Block officials behind Pranab Mukherjee’s Budget

CALL it the Team Budget from North Block, or simply backroom boys for India’s finance minister Pranab Mukherjee as he is presenting the General Budget in Lok Sabha in a few hours time from now. Here are the few senior officials who have worked extremely hard for the last one month if not more, to make the Budget to be presented on Monday, July 6, a big success.

Ashok Chawla & His Team A: A 1973 batch IAS of Gujarat cadre, Ashok Chawla, currently finance secretary, directly controls three out of five departments in Finmin --- department of financial services, department of economic affairs (DEA) and department of disinvestment, where there’s no secretary-equivalent officers now. As he held additional secretary’s post in the ministry of finance from April 25, 2005 to January 1, 2007, he had past experiences in Budget preparation. He is aided by some of the brilliant minds in the DEA --- Anup K Pujari (1980, Karnataka cadre), Kumar Sanjay Krishna (1985, Assam cadre), Alok Sheel (1982, Kerala cadre), K P Krishnan (1983 Karnataka cadre), Gobind Mohan (1989, Sikkim cadre) to name a few. Revenue secretary P V Bhide: An IAS from Andhra Pradesh cadre and batch-mate of Mr Chawla, P V Bhide had the earlier experiences of Budget preparation as he held the same post of revenue secretary when then finance minister P Chidambaram presented the Budget in February 2008. He has been the revenue secretary from June, 2007 and had the experience of working as secretary, disinvestment for a brief period. Sushama Nath & Her Woman Team: A 1974 batch IAS of Madhya Pradesh cadre, Ms Nath is heading a team of women officers in the department of expenditure. Ms Nath, who had played a key role in the sixth Pay Commission, is now aided by additional secretary Vilasini Ramachandran and a 1977 batch IAS officer from Gujarat cadre, joint secretaries Anjuly Chib Duggal of the 1981 IAS batch, Meena Aggarwal from Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS) and Madhulika Prasad Sukul of Defence Accounts Service. Men Of The Moment: Finance minister is also aided by a number of other key officers in North Block --- chief economic adviser Arvind Virmani, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) chairman S S N Moorthy, and chairman of Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) P C Jha.

Finance secretary Ashok Chawla given additional charge of disinvestment; now controls 3 out of 5 Finmin departments

FINANCE secretary Ashok Chawla, a 1973 batch IAS from Gujarat cadre, has proved once more that he is one of the most powerful bureaucrats in the country holding additional charges of two departments which were earlier held by full-fledged secretaries. Mr Chawla, who was recently elevated from the post of secretary in the department of economic affairs (DEA) to finance secretary, has now been given additional charge of the post of secretary, department of disinvestment under the ministry of finance for a period of three months or until further orders, a government announcement said. The appointment, which gives Mr Chawla a conplete control of three out of five departments in finance ministry, is effective from June 11, 2009. The post was vacant after disinvestment secretary Rahul Khullar, a 1975 batch IAS, was made commerce secretary. Earlier, he was given additional charge of the department of financial services since May 1, 2009 where an additional secretary level officer, a 1977 batch IAS officer G C Chaturvedi, was appointed to lead the department. Now, out of five departments in finance ministry, only two has full-fledged IAS at the helm --- secretary Sushama Nath in the department of expenditure and revenue secretary P V Bhide. The bestowing of additional charge of the disinvestment department to Mr Chawla is a significant development in the backdrop of a possible announcement in forthcoming Budget that the government may take a slew of measures on divestment, thereby converting the department into an active zone. Significantly, Mr Chawla and urban development secretary M Ramachandran are the two key contenders for cabinet secretary’s post next year.

Greener pasture: 700 civil servants in India play golf regularly

IF YOU thought bureaucrats love only cricket, get your facts correct! About 700 civil servants including IAS, IFS and IPS, regularly play golf in eight zones of the country earmarked by All India Civil Services Golf Society. Even in Delhi and NCR alone, about 250 bureaucrats or former bureaucrats happen to be avid golfers out of which about 15 are secretaries or secretary-equivalent officers. Among the high profile bureaucrats who could even compete with corporate honchos in golf include deputy chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, revenue secretary P V Bhide, former expenditure secretary Sanjiv Mishra among others. Several retired bureaucrats such as former industry secretary Ajay Dua, former finance secretary and current Hyundai India president Ashok Jha, former cabinet secretary and Planning Commission member B K Chaturvedi, and former Delhi police chief Ajay Raj Sharma are familiar faces in Delhi’s golf circles. Even former Comptroller and Auditor General V N Kaul is said to be seen on the green courses. Significantly, civil servants now just don’t wait for retirement to play golf, and instead visit the courses regularly despite busy schedules. For the last four years, pan-India golf competitions have been organized, and winners get some exciting prizes including holiday packages to hills. But yes, no outside spectator is allowed in any such intra-civil servants’ golf tournaments. The only exception is a spouse who also happens to be a civil servant! Jamia teachers oppose nomination of a bureaucrat as Vice Chancellor Fourteen teachers of Jamia Millia Islamia have opposed the government’s move to consider a bureaucrat for the post of Vice Chancellor of the University. In an appeal to President Pratibha Patil, they have seriously objected to the government’s recent move, and argued that academic centres must be headed by academicians and not bureaucrats, a media report said. Three bureaucrat contenders for Jamia's top job include Bihar’s home secretary Afzal Amanullah, retired IAS officer Najeeb Jung and Bihar's state information commissioner, Mohd. Shakeel Ahmed. babu.blogger1@gmail.com