Modi now scanning political appointees

After banning ministers from appointing bureaucrats who had done a stint in the previous UPA regime as their personal staff, the Narendra Modi-led administration has initiated the process of vetting political appointees who are mostly absorbed in the posts of additional private secretaries (APS) and private assistants (PAs).

Only if the Prime Minister’s Office gives nod to political persons, can they become APS or PA.

The inquiry being conducted is essentially a 360 degree profiling of the political appointees as the ever cautious Modi cannot afford to take chances with the personal staff of his colleagues who have been sources of seeking access to seek favours of all kind from the government, explained a  source.

This exercise is different from the June 19 directive from the department of personnel which on the instruction of the prime minister had refused the ministers to keep private secretaries and officers on special duty who have served in similar capacity in the previous regime

That circular also barred ministers from having political appointees as their PAs and APS drawn from previous UPA regime.