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Karnataka cadre IAS officer appointed new Econ Affairs secy in major reshuffle

Ajay Seth is a 1987 batch IAS officer and a veteran tax administrator with a four-year stint as an advisor in Asian Development Bank
Last Updated 06 April 2021, 16:45 IST

The Centre Tuesday appointed Ajay Seth, a 1987 batch Karnataka-cadre IAS officer and a veteran tax administrator with a four-year stint as an advisor in Asian Development Bank as the new economic affairs secretary, replacing incumbent Tarun Bajaj, who has been moved to the revenue department.

Bajaj, who had been the economic affairs secretary since May 1, 2020, was shifted to the revenue department days after the government faced a major embarrassment when it had to reverse its order on interest rate cut on a dozen of small saving schemes within 12 hours of issuing the same.

Seth, who is currently serving as the managing director of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd, will be the senior-most secretary in the ministry of finance and the principal adviser to the finance minister on all matters of policy and administration within the ministry.

More than half of Seth’s career spanning 30 years has been devoted to public finance and taxation. His experience may come handy in the finance ministry at a time when the government is focusing on expenditure push to revive the economy from a record contraction in the past year.

It was during Seth’s tenure as commissioner of commercial taxes that Karnataka had issued notice to e-commerce giant Amazon for alleged non-payment of VAT for transactions on its online platform. He was also instrumental in bringing other e-commerce companies into the tax net.

Bajaj came to the finance ministery after spending five years in the Prime Minister’s office. In February, Bajaj had been given the additional charge of the revenue department after Ajay Bhushan Pandey superannuated.

Another officer from Karnataka, Anil Kumar Jha (1988-batch) who is presently Special Secretary in Department of Revenue, has been promoted as Secretary and posted in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

The government also promoted six senior IAS officials to the rank of Secretary.

Gyanesh Kumar, Kerala cadre IAS officer of 1988 batch who is Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, has been appointed as Secretary in Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. He replaces R S Shukla, a West Bengal cadre officer of the 1986 batch, who is retiring on April 30.

Ali Raza Rizvi, a 1988 batch officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, has been promoted as Secretary and posted in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. Currently Special Secretary and Financial Adviser in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Rizvi replaces IAS officer Sailesh who has been appointed as Member of Public Enterprises Selection Board.

Indevar Pandey of West Bengal cadre, who is Special Secretary in Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, will be the new Secretary in Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances and Department of Pensions and Pensioners Welfare. He replaces Kshatrapati Shivaji of 1986-batch Maharashtra cadre on March 31.

Anjali Bhawra, a 1988-batch IAS officer of Punjab cadre, has been appointed Secretary in the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. She is Special Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and replaces Shakuntala D. Gamlin.

Jatindra Nath Swain of 1988-batch Tamil Nadu cadre, is the new Secretary in Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

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(Published 06 April 2021, 16:45 IST)

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