Chaturvedi to be new oil secretary

In a surprise development, Oil Secretary S Sundareshan was today shifted to the Ministry of Heavy Industries after four years in the ministry.

Girish Chandra Chaturvedi will be the new Oil Secretary, according to orders issued this evening.

Sundareshan, a 1976 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre, joined Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas as Additional Secretary in April 2007 and was elevated as the Secretary in February last year.

There has been speculation about his removal ever since S Jaipal Reddy replaced Murli Deora as the Oil Minister in January this year.

Highly placed sources said the change demanded removal of Sundareshan and his being replaced by Chaturvedi was finalied last week.

But the government did not issue his orders and in the meanwhile gave additional charge of Heavy Industries Ministry to Bhaskar Chatterjee, Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises.

Chaturvedi, an IAS officer of 1977 batch from the Uttar Pradesh cadre, is currently Special Secretary Financial Services in the Ministry of Finance.

Senior most among the 43 officers of 1977 batch, is expected to takeover as Oil Secretary tomorrow.

Chaturvedi, 58, is M.Sc in Physics.

Sundareshan would replace Bhavani Singh Meena who superannuated on April 30.

Sources said Sundareshan is not the first officer to be shifted from Oil Ministry to the Ministry of Heavy Industries. T S Vijayaraghavan was shifted from oil to heavy industries in 1998.