Arvind Mayaram gets second transfer order in a fortnight

New Delhi: Senior bureaucrat Arvind Mayaram has received a second transfer order in a fortnight.

Mayaram, who was earlier shifted out of the Finance Ministry to Tourism, has now been appointed as Secretary in the Minority Affairs Ministry.

The current posting is considered even low-profile than the one in the Tourism Ministry.

The Central government late Wednesday night issued an order cancelling its previous order of October 15, which stated that Mayaram will take over as Secretary in the Tourism Ministry on October 31, when the incumbent, 1977-batch IAS officer Parvez Dewan retires.

But, the new order issued last night states that the Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cleared Mayaram's appointment as the new Minority Affairs Secretary.

Mayaram replaces 1979-batch IAS officer Lalit K Panwar at the Minority Affairs Ministry. Panwar now shifts to the Tourism Ministry on October 31 in place of Dewan.

Meanwhile, 1978-batch IAS officer Ratan P Watal, the current Secretary, Expenditure, has been given additional charge of Secretary, Economic Affairs for one month.

Rajasthan cadre 1978-batch IAS officer Rajiv Mehrishi, who was on October 15 nominated to take over as Secretary, the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, will take charge after a month.

Apart from Mayaram, another key change has been effected at the Ministry of Finance by the Narendra Modi government.

US-based economist Arvind Subramanian has been brought in as the Chief Economic Advisor, ahead of the government's first full-fledged Budget next February.