New Delhi: Senior IAS officer Pulok
Chatterjee, considered close to the Gandhi family, on Monday joined as the Prime Minister`s Principal Secretary, at a time
when the government is going through tough times.
A 1974-batch officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, Chatterjee
returned to PMO after a stint with the World Bank. He was in
the PMO earlier as a Joint Secretary from 2004 to 2009.
He replaced T K A Nair, who has been made Advisor to the
Prime Minister.
Chatterjee`s return is seen with significance as he is
expected to make smoother the coordination between PMO and
Congress president Sonia Gandhi at a time when the government
is passing through difficult times.
He is considered close to Sonia Gandhi with whom he had
served when she was the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.
His appointment is part of a rehaul of the Prime
Minister`s Office initiated three months back.
M N Prasad, who was a Secretary in the PMO, left to join
the World Bank. Sanjay Mitra, a Joint Secretary in the PMO,
has already joined West Bengal government. He has been
replaced by L K Atheeq, who was serving as Director and was
promoted recently.
Senior IFS officer Pankaj Saran, a Joint Secretary in the
PMO, is also on the way out.
B V R Subramanyam, an IAS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre
who served as Private Secretary to Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh in UPA-I from 2004 to 2008, is also set to return to
the PMO as Joint Secretary. He will replace Vini Mahajan.
At the Director-level, IFS officer Sudhakar Dalela has
left for a posting in the Indian Embassy in Washington.
D P S Sandhu has left to join the World Bank.
In their place, Sanjay Lohia, IAS officer from Assam
cadre and Krishan Kumar, IAS officer from Punjab cadre, have
joined the PMO.
PTI
