Takru might be new revenue secy

Rajiv Takru, the government's secretary, financial services, is likely to be made the revenue secretary after the retirement next week of Finance Secretary Sumit Bose.

The latter, a 1976-batch Indian Administrative Service officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, is also handling the revenue portfolio. Takru, a 1979-batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, is likely to be replaced by Gurdial Singh Sandhu in the financial services department. Sandhu is a 1979-batch IAS officer from the Rajasthan cadre.

After Bose's retirement, the seniormost among all the five secretaries in the finance ministry will be appointed Finance Secretary. Economic affairs secretary Arvind Mayaram is a 1978-batch officer from the Rajasthan cadre. Expenditure secretary Ratan P Watal, from the Andhra Pradesh cadre, is also from the same batch. In such cases, the decision is taken on seniority-cum-merit.

With Sandhu's appointment the finance ministry will have three secretaries from Rajasthan. Disinvestment Secretary Ravi Mathur also belongs to the 1979 batch of the cadre.