New Delhi: In a major bureaucratic rejig today, the Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan has been given three-month extension by the Central government. She was due to superannuate on April 30. The decision comes amid Health Ministry pulling out all stops to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
As many as 23 senior IAS officers have been appointed as secretaries in different central government departments as part of the bureaucratic rejig.
Rural Development Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has been appointed as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Health and Family Welfare Department in the rank of secretary.
He is likely to take over as the secretary of the department after the expiry of Preeti Sudan’s extended tenure of three months.
Information and Broadcasting Secretary Ravi Mittal has been moved out as Secretary, Department of Sports, the order said.
Amit Khare, the Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, has been given additional charge as the Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. Khare has earlier served in the I&B Ministry.
In a surprising change, Consumer Affairs Secretary Pawan Kumar Agarwal has been appointed as Special Secretary (Logistics) in the Department of Commerce.
Food and Public Distribution Secretary Ravi Kant has been moved out as the Secretary, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare.
Senior bureaucrat Sudhanshu Panday will be the Food and Public Distribution Secretary in place of Kant. Mr Panday is currently Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce.
Tarun Bajaj, Additional Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, will be the new Department of Economic Affairs Secretary.
