Rooms with a view

Finance ministry officials seem to be playing musical chair these days. After Pranab Mukherjee and some of his staff left North Block, many rooms around the finance minister’s office were up for grabs. The fact that several rooms are vacant in a building in which getting a room is a bigger feat than managing the economy is certainly novel - it has to do with the fact that P Chidambaram has arrived with two officers, compared with six in Mukherjee’s regime. Among those who have been quick to claim (or reclaim) their rooms is Madhulika Sukul, joint secretary in the Expenditure department. She regained the room that was occupied by Omita Paul, Mukherjee’s advisor and close associate. Shaktikanta Das, additional secretary in Economic Affairs, is moving to Sukul’s room so that Rajat Bhargava, joint secretary (Budget), can move into Das’s room, which is traditionally reserved for bureaucrats of that rank. Revenue Secretary Sumit Bose and Expenditure Secretary R S Gujral have already swapped rooms after a portfolio reshuffle.