by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
Gives 6 months' extension to Ajit Seth
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New Delhi, Dec. 5
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In an unusual development, the Modi government gave Cabinet secretary Ajit Seth another extension in service for a period of six months.
This was the third extension in a row – the first given by the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh in June 2013 for full one year and two extensions of six months each by the Modi government -- making him the darling of both the UPA and NDA governments.
The extension of Seth was approved by Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and formal orders were issued as he was to retire on December 13.
Though South Block mandarins say there is nothing unusual in such extensions as Cabinet secretaries had served beyond their stipulated tenure of two years fixed. But in the case of Seth, the bureaucrats are baffled as Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to repose faith in the top IAS officer who was UPA's choice.
But some insiders say that the 6-month extension to Seth was aimed at eliminating some of the senior IAS officers who were in the race for the Cabinet Secretary's post. There were couple of them whose claim to the top post could not have been brushed aside.
With Seth getting another extension, decks have been cleared for the finance secretary Rajiv Meharshi or power secretary P K Sinha to get a chance in June to stay in the race.
Home secretary Anil Goswami, petroleum secretary Saurabh Chandra, corporate affairs secretary Naved Masood and several others are out of the reckoning with Seth getting extension.
Seth, a 1974-batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, had taken over as Cabinet secretary on June 14, 2011 with a fixed tenure up to June 13, 2013. The UPA government had extended his tenure by a year. The Modi-government had given six-month extension to Seth in June. He was due to retire on December 13.
The Cabinet secretariat is under the direct charge of the Prime Minister. The administrative head of the Secretariat is the Cabinet secretary who is also the ex-officio chairman of the Civil Services Board.
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