The Prime Minister-led Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has transferred Disinvestment Secretary Aradhana Johri and given Industry Secretary Amitabh Kant the additional responsibility of being Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog. Ms. Johri has been appointed as the chairperson of the National Authority for Chemical Weapons, a statutory body under the Cabinet secretariat, while the role of steering the government’s ambitious disinvestment agenda has now been entrusted to Neeraj Kumar Gupta, an Uttar Pradesh cadre officer of 1982 batch. Mr. Gupta is presently serving as the Special Secretary in the Department of Public Enterprises.

Other Important Appointments

• West Bengal Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra has been appointed the new Secretary for road transport and highways ministry and will take charge following the incumbent Vijay Chhibber’s super-annuation on December 31.
• Special Secretary in the revenue department Rashmi Verma has been appointed the next Textiles Secretary in place of Sanjay Kumar Panda who retires this month.
• Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, Secretary (co-ordination) in the Cabinet Secretariat has been given additional charge of the Secretary (security) post till a regular incumbent is appointed.