Ashok Chawla appointed new finance secretary

The government on Tuesday appointed Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) Secretary Ashok Chawla as the new finance secretary.

He has also been given the additional charge of the Department of Financial Services since May 1, 2009, according to a finance ministry release.

A 1973 batch officer of the Gujarat cadre of IAS, Chawla has had a wide exposure to sectors ranging from economy, industry, chemicals and fertilisers to infrastructure.

He has been DEA secretary since September 2008 and has also worked as an additional secretary at DEA from April 2005 to January 2007. Prior to that Chawla was the Ministry of Civil Aviation secretary from February 2007 to September 2008.

The post of secretary (financial services) was downgraded to the rank of additional secretary after the retirement of finance secretary (also the financial services secretary) Arun Ramanathan on April 30, 2009 and GC Chaturvedi was appointed the Department of Financial Services additional secretary in the finance ministry.