Ajay Narayan Jha to replace Ashok Lavasa as new Expenditure Secretary

Incumbent Ashok Lavasa retires at the end of this month.

UNION ENVIRONMENT Secretary Ajay Narayan Jha will be the new Expenditure Secretary in the Ministry of Finance when incumbent Ashok Lavasa retires at the end of this month.

Jha, a 1982 batch IAS officer, was on Wednesday appointed the Officer on Special Duty in his new department as part of a secretary-level bureaucratic reshuffle by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by PM Narendra Modi.

Current Health Secretary C K Mishra was transferred to head the Environment and Climate Change ministry.

Injeti Srinivas of the 1983 batch IAS, currently Secretary, Sports, was appointed the Secretary, Corporate Affairs, while UP cadre 1983 batch IAS officer Rahul Prasad Bhatnagar, currently serving in the state, will be the new Sports Secretary.

Preeti Sudan, who is currently Secretary, Food and Public Distribution, will replace Mishra in the Health Ministry.

Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, the first lateral entry at a secretary-level post in the government, has been designated secretary to the ministry of Ayush for three years on a contract basis.

Alok Shrivastava, posted as Special Secretary, Shipping, will be the Secretary, Department of Justice in the law ministry.

Gopal Krishna, who is currently in West Bengal will be the new Shipping Secretary. Current Shipping Secretary Ravi Kant was transferred to the Department of Food and Public Distribution.

KV Eapen will be the new Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, while Shakuntala Gamlin will be the new Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.