Rajiv Bansal takes over as Air India CMD in a bureaucratic reshuffle

New Delhi: Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Debasish Panda was on Thursday appointed as the finance secretary as part of a bureaucratic reshuffle, a personnel

New Delhi: Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Debasish Panda was on Thursday appointed as the finance secretary as part of a bureaucratic reshuffle, a personnel ministry order said.

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Panda, a 1987 batch Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer, is presently special secretary, department of financial services. His appointment comes at a time when the government is trying to push the pace of economic growth.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has also appointed 1988 batch IAS officer Rajiv Bansal as Air India’s Chairman and the Managing Director.

According to the order, Panda’s appointment was approved as secretary, department of financial services, in place of Rajiv Kumar, who superannuates this month.

Besides him, Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, has been appointed secretary, department of consumer affairs.

Saraswati Prasad, a 1985-batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, will be secretary, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes. He is at present a special secretary and financial adviser to the ministry of steel.

Usha Sharma, director general, Archaeological Survey of India, has been appointed secretary, department of youth affairs. Raj Kumar will be secretary, department of defence production. Kumar, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, is currently director-general, Employees’ State Insurance Corporation.

Ranjan is currently a special secretary, GST council secretariat. He will replace Rajni Sekhri Sibal, who retires on February 29.

The tenure of Parameswaran Iyer, secretary, department of drinking water and sanitation, has been extended by one more year.