Telecom Secretary Rakesh Garg shunted out to Minority Affairs

New Delhi, Jan 29: Telecom Secretary Rakesh Garg was today shunted out to Minority Affairs Ministry as part of a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle, ten months ahead of his retirement.

J S Deepak has been appointed as the new Secretary, Department of Telecommunications. Deepak, a 1982 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, is at present Secretary, Department of Electronics and Information Technology.

Garg, a 1980 batch IAS officer, has been appointed Secretary in Minority Affairs Ministry in place of Amarendra Sinha, who is holding additional charge of the post, an order issued today by Personnel Ministry said, without mentioning the reason for Garg's exit from the high-profile ministry.

Garg had taken over as Telecom Secretary on July 17, 2014 and he is due to retire in November. Aruna Sharma, at present working in her cadre state -- Madhya Pradesh, has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Electronics and Information Technology, in place of Deepak, it said.

As many as 10 new Secretaries have been appointed in various central government ministries and other organisations. Krishan Kumar Jalan, who is Central Provident Fund Commissioner in Employees' Provident Fund Organisation, has been appointed as Ministry of Labour and Employment Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Shobhana K Pattanayak has been made the new Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, in place of Siraj Hussain, on his superannuation in the end of this month. Avinash K Srivastava, a 1982 batch IAS officer, has been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing, the release said.

Srivastava is Special Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare. Vinod Agrawal, Secretary, National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), has been made Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. Shyam S Agarwal, Secretary of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), has been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Tribal Affairs Secretary Arun Jha has been appointed new Secretary of NCSC. Agarwal has been given additional charge of NCST for a period of three months or till the appointment of a regular incumbent, it said.

PTI