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Commerce, steel, power get new secretaries

Our Bureau

NEW DELHI, May 28

CLOSE on the heels of a minor reshuffle of the Union Cabinet on Saturday, the Government tonight announced a major reshuffle of bureaucrats involving changes in several departments including commerce, steel, coal and power.

The Commerce Secretary, Mr. P.P. Prabhu, who is retiring on May 31, would be succeeded by Mr. Prabir Sengupta, currently Secretary, Department of Defence Production and Supplies.

Mr. B.K. Chaturvedi, Special Secretary (Insurance), is being shifted as Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development, in place of Ms. Kiran Aggarwal who is proceeding on leave. Mr. P.K. Banerji is the new Special Secretary (Insurance).

Mr. Vinod Vaish, Special Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, is the new Secretary, Department of Telecom Services, in place of Mr. P.S. Saran, who is retiring on May 31.

Mr. A.H. Jung, Special Secretary, Ministry of Power, is being posted as Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, to the post held by Mr. Ravindra Gupta who is moving to the Department of Defence Production and Supplies.

The Power Ministry also gets a new Secretary in Mr. A.K. Basu, who is being shifted from the Ministry of Steel as the present incumbent, Mr. V.K. Pandit, is retiring on May 31. Mr. S.S. Sharma, Director-General, National Productivity Council (NPC), is be ing appointed Special Secretary, Ministry of Power in place of Mr. Jung.

Mr. A.K. Agarwal, Secretary (Co-ordination and Planning) in the Cabinet Secretariat, is the new Steel Secretary. Mr. V.N. Kaul is the new Coal Secretary.

Mr. P. Shankar would be Secretary, Department of Food and PDS, which would now comprise the Department of PDS merged with Department of Sugar and Edible Oils. Mr. M.D. Asthana, who headed the latter department, is being shifted to the Planning Commission as Principal Adviser. Mr. K. Srinivasan is new the Director-General, NPC, in the rank and pay of Secretary.

Mr. Bhure Lal, Secretary in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Food Corporation of India in place of Mr. P.R. Dasgupta, who retires on May 31. These appointments have been cleared by the Cabinet Committee on App ointments, an official release said.