Mayaram further transferred to Minority Affairs Ministry

Within a fortnight of being shifted out of the finance ministry, former finance secretary Arvind Mayaram has been transferred again. On October 29, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) cancelled Mayaram’s appointment as tourism secretary, made on October 16. Even before he could take charge as tourism secretary, the 1978 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS officer has been moved as minorities affairs secretary. The government made the announcement without giving any reason.

Another Rajasthan cadre IAS of the 1979 batch, Lalit Panwar, will move from the minorities affairs ministry to tourism as secretary. The current tourism secretary, Parvez Dewan, will retire on October 31.

Union Tourism Minister Shripad Naik had told the media after Mayaram’s appointment that he had requested the government to post a good officer to replace Dewan. Naik had said having Mayaram, with his experience in the finance ministry, would be of great help.

Mayaram, considered close to the Congress, was retained by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government to play a key part in Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s maiden Budget for 2014-15.

This is not the first time that top appointments have been made and then cancelled within days under the current government. For instance, in June, the ACC had approved, and then cancelled, the appointment of Tamil Nadu cadre 1981 batch IAS Rajiv Nayan Choubey as additional secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office. in Choubey’s case, ACC cancelled its appointment order in less than a week due to hierarchy issues. Choubey, due to become a secretary in a few months, is additional secretary in the ministry of power.