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New `economic boss' for the PMO

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi June 11. The Union Finance Secretary, S. Narayan, has been appointed Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office. Mr. Narayan, scheduled to retire on June 30, is now likely to have an extended spell of service as Officer on Special Duty in the PMO.

Mr. Narayan's designation and role in the Finance Ministry will go to Dinesh Gupta, the incumbent Expenditure Secretary.

With Mr. Narayan's appointment in the PMO, the current "economic man", Pradipto Ghosh, will move out as Additional Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs of the Finance Ministry. However, Mr. Ghosh is one of the 31 officers of the 1969 batch "empanelled" last week for appointment at the Secretary-level.

Mr. Narayan's appointment is seen as one more attempt by the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, to gain a semblance of direction over the Government's economic policy.

The last Secretary-level "economic boss", N.K. Singh, had to move out of the PMO two years ago when Mr. Vajpayee came under attack from within the Sangh Parivar as well as a section of the BJP. Though the Prime Minister's detractors were primarily gunning for his Principal Secretary, Brajesh Mishra, Mr. Vajpayee staved off the challenge by sacrificing Mr. N.K.Singh. Subsequently, Mr. Singh was appointed a Member of the Planning Commission. In the bargain, the PMO is seen to have lost control over the economic policy.

The confusion and controversies over the disinvestment policy and time-table brought home the need for an activist role for the PMO in implementation of the settled policies.

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