In a first major bureaucratic reshuffle, the Modi Government has appointed Shaktikanta Das as the new Revenue Secretary. He will replace Rajiv Takru, who has been moved to the Department of North Eastern Region (DONER).
Das, a 1980 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, is coming back to the North Block almost a month before the presentation of full budget for 2014-15.
He was in the Finance Ministry for five years before moving to the Chemicals & Fertiliser Ministry as Fertiliser Secretary on December 30 last year. He has a deep experience in budget making as he was Joint Secretary in the Budget Division under the Department of Economic Affairs. He is expected to take charge on Monday.
With this, the budget team will have Arvind Mayaram (Finance and Economic Affairs Secretary), Shaktikanta Das (Revenue Secretray), R P Wattal (Expenditure Secretary) G S Sandhu (Financial Services Secretray) and Ravi Mathur ((Disinvestment Secretary).
Takru is a Gujarat cadre IAS officer of 1979 batch. Prior to Revenue, he was Financial Services Secretary.