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| PM clears Madhav Lal's posting in MSME, Govt still indecisive on new CS | | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
jammu, Feb 6: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has inked the appointment order of Madhav Lal as Secretary in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
He is all set to join the Ministry next week. Bureaucratic circles in New Delhi do not mince words in saying that proximity with Cabinet Secretary Ajit Kumar Seth helped Madhav Lal in securing a place in New Delhi at a time when it was being largely perceived that a south Indian Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises K.H. Muniyappa would prefer someone with south Indian background. They maintain that Muniyappa had hinted at bringing in 1979 batch Tamil Nadu cadre IAS officer S.Machendranathan as replacement of Vivek Rae, who joined as Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum.
However, apart from being close to Cabinet Secretary, sources said that the experience of having worked in the Ministry for more than two years prior to being asked to take up the assignment of Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir Government, worked in Madhav Lal's favour. When put up for approval, sources said that Cabinet committee on appointment did not spend much time on the file and cleared it within shortest possible time.
This is Madhav Lal's second tenure in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). Earlier, he served as Additional Secretary from November 2008 to January 2011. A 1977 batch IAS officer, Madhav Lal joined as Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir in February 2011 and is leaving for New Delhi after having served for two years. He was chosen at a time when many believed that Government would not look for seniority and choose a person of their choice.
Madhav Lal is in New Delhi to attend marriage ceremony of his niece and would be flying to Srinagar on February 10 where several officers have decided to host farewell for him. A senior officer is also reportedly hosting a farewell dinner for Madhav Lal on February 11 in Jammu. It has been reliably learnt that Madhav Lal would leave Jammu after another Cabinet meeting slated to be held on February 12 wherein it is believed he would give charge to next available senior most IAS officer.
Financial Commissioner (FC) Finance Iqbal Khanday is likely to take over from Madhav Lal on February 12. Though it could not be confirmed whether Government would elevate Iqbal Khanday to the post of Chief Secretary or not but the precedence, in case of indecision or delay in decisions making process, the outgoing Chief Secretary gives the charge to next senior most available IAS officer, which in the present case is Iqbal Khanday. Though the Government is yet to make public its choice of new Chief Secretary, speculations are rife over names of three senior most IAS officers.
These include Iqbal Khanday, Parvez Dewan and Anil Goswami. A 1978 batch direct recruit IAS, Iqbal Khanday is not the senior most officer after Madhav Lal, in fact he comes at number 4. However, there is no Kashmiri Muslim IAS officer above him or till 5 steps below him. Sources disclosed that if the Government goes by the Indian scheme of things, claim of Iqbal is very strong.
Sources averred that in this case, it should bring alive superior claims of Parvez Dewan, a 1977 batch IAS officer. The number 3 in seniority is the 1978 batch Anil Goswami. He is currently serving in the Union Home Ministry as Additional Secretary. With his empanelment as Secretary in Government of India, sources said that Anil has no other personal business left to attend to in Delhi. He too is available to take up the job of Chief Secretary. Sources claimed that the choice, therefore, is most likely to be between Iqbal Khanday, Parvez Dewan and Anil Goswami. |
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