The Centre has preferred not to extend the tenure of Finance Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey, who is superannuating on February 28. It has handed over the charge of the Department of Revenue to Tarun Bajaj, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs.
Before moving as Secretary, Economic Affairs, Mr. Bajaj was in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) as Additional Secretary. The 1988 batch IAS officer of the Haryana cadre had served the Ministry of Finance as Joint Secretary in the Department of Financial Services.
Mr. Bajaj and Expenditure Secretary TV Somnathan have emerged as the key officials in the Finance Ministry who had played a vital role in the Budget. Mr. Somnathan is a 1987 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre and he too served in the PMO before he was repatriated to his State cadre.
The Hindu had on February 22 reported that the government would go for key appointments in the Ministry of Finance as the Secretary Finance and CBDT Chairman PC Mody are scheduled to superannuate this month end.
There is yet no clarity on whether Mr. Mody’s tenure is being extended again. The tenure of the 1982 batch IRS officer of the Income Tax cadre was extended twice.
