Modi govt shifts finance secy Arvind Mayaram to tourism

The central government has transferred finance secretary Arvind Mayaram to the tourism department and brought in Rajasthan chief secretary Rajiv Mehrishi to replace him, according to a source privy to the development.
Mayaram is the second senior official from the finance ministry to be transferred by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration. In June, the government had moved out revenue secretary Rajiv Takru.

Both Takru and Mayaram were appointed by the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

Both Mehrishi and Mayaram are Rajasthan cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers of the 1978 batch.

Another significant transfer is of water resources secretary Alok Rawat. He has been moved to administrative reforms, said the source who did not want to be named.

Anuj Kumar Bishnoi, additional secretary in the ministry of defence, has been made secretary of water resources and river development and also the newly created Ganga rejuvenation department, an ambitious plan to clean river Ganga — one of Modi’s priorities.

Bishnoi is a 1981 batch Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer.

Prabhu Dayal Meena has been appointed as secretary ex-servicemen welfare in the ministry of defence while Jammu And Kashmir cadre IAS officer Ashok Kumar Angurana has been made secretary, panchayati raj, in place of Vijya Laxmi Joshi, who was holding additional charge.

Vinod Agarwal, advisor to the inter-state council in the home ministry, has been shifted as secretary national commission for Scheduled Castes.