Retd Guj IAS officer P K Mishra now addl principal secy to Modi

Mishra currently is director general of the Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management

Another aide of Narendra Modi from Gujarat, retired IAS officer P K Mishra, was on Monday appointed additional principal secretary to the new Prime Minister.

From the 1972 batch of the national civil service’s Gujarat cadre, Mishra is considered to close to Modi. He was one of the few top bureaucrats present during the controversial meeting called by the new PM on the evening of February 27, 2002, after the Godhra train burning.

“This comes as a surprise for me,” Mishra told Business Standard. “It will be a challenge to be in the PMO.”

Mishra is currently director-general of the Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM) and has additional charge as chairman of the state-level environment impact assessment committee, of the central ministry of environment and forests.

Before being appointed to head the GIDM, he was chairman of Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC). He headed GERC for nearly five years after being appointed in 2008, following his retirement in August that year. At the time of retirement, Mishra was secretary in the Union agriculture ministry. Before going on central deputation in 2004, Mishra was principal secretary to chief minister Modi.

Mishra has been assistant collector, Tharad and Palanpur; district development officer, Kutch; district magistrate, Mehsana; secretary to the government of Gujarat in rural development, agriculture and revenue, among others; member (finance) at Gujarat Electricity Board; managing director, Gujarat State Electricity Corporation; chief executive of Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority; principal secretary to the chief minister; member-secretary, National Capital Region Planning Board; and secretary, National Disaster Management Authority, among others.

Mishra's achievements include involvement in national initiatives like National Agriculture Development Programme (RKVY) and the National Food Security Mission (NFSM). Between 2006-08, when Mishra was agriculture secretary, production of food grains reached record levels, apart from increase in agricultural GDP. Carrying a conventional working style, Mishra is known for playing a pivotal role in moulding the Gujarat State Disaster Management Aauthority (GSDMA) into a robust and award winning organisation.

During his stint as member (finance) at GEB between 1994 and 1998, Mishra has been commended for mobilisation of resources, monitoring of power supply to high-voltage industrial consumers, tariff matters, negotiations of several power purchase agreements and restructuring of the power sector including the state electricity board.