Major reshuffle of bureaucrats

Komal Anand, director-general, CAPART, in the ministry of rural development, will take over as the new company affairs secretary. Anand, a Haryana cadre IAS officer of the 1968 batch will succeed MMK Sardana, who retired today.

In a large-scale reshuffle of senior bureaucrats, Mano Ranjan, secretary in the ministry of statistics and programme implementation, has been appointed as steel secretary in place of Binoo Sen.

J Harinarayan, additional secretary in the ministry of rural development, will become secretary in the ministry of statistics and programme implementation. Harinarayan is an IAS officer of the 1970 batch belonging to the Andhra Pradesh cadre.

India's ambassador at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) KM Chandrashekar will be the new revenue secretary and special secretary S N Menon, the commerce secretary.

Chandrashekar, an IAS officer of the 1970 batch from the Kerala cadre comes in place of Vineeta Rai who retired today. Menon, a 1969 batch IAS officer from the West Bengal cadre takes over from Dipak Chaterjee. Chandrashekar is to be replaced by US Bhatia, currently joint secretary, information and broadcasting ministry.

Ajit Kumar Jain, at present additional secretary in the power ministry, will become special secretary in the same ministry. Jain, 1970 batch IAS officer belongs to the Uttar Pradesh cadre.

Economist Parthasarathy Shome, who has already been appointed as adviser to finance minister P Chidambaram, will assume office tomorrow. Shome replaces Vijay Kelkar. The finance ministry will have a new team of bureaucrats before the budgetary exercise begins in October end or early November.

Finance secretary DC Gupta is retiring on October 31 and Reserve Bank of India deputy governor Rakesh Mohan is tipped to take over from him.