Centre effects bureaucratic rejig

Senior bureaucrats Punya Salila Srivastava and Rajesh Kumar Singh have been appointed as health and defence secretary respectively, as part of a major top-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre on Friday.

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Srivastava, who is currently special secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, will initially join the Department of Health and Family Welfare as the officer on special duty (OSD), according to a Personnel Ministry order.

She will take over as the health secretary after incumbent Apurva Chandra superannuates on September 30, it said.

Singh, who is at present the secretary for Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, has been appointed as the OSD in the defence ministry. He will take over as the defence secretary for a tenure of two years following the superannuation of Aramane Giridhar on October 31.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved extension in service of Singh beyond the age of his superannuation for a period up to October 31, 2026, the order said. Amardeep Singh Bhatia, additional secretary in the commerce and industry ministry, will be secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, in place of Singh.

Minority Affairs Secretary Katikithala Srinivas will be the next housing and urban affairs secretary. Chandra Sekhar Kumar, special secretary in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, will be the new minority affairs secretary in place of Srinivas.