RBI reshuffles ED portfolios

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has re-allocated the portfolios of its executive directors (EDs) following the induction of two new ones. RBI has increased the number of executive directors to nine from seven earlier.

* Among the two new ones, B Mahapatra has been given the charge of four departments, including the department of banking operations and development and department of government and bank accounts.

* P Vijaya Bhasker has taken charge of the department of banking supervision and the department of non-banking supervision, apart from the central security cell.

* Before taking charge as ED, Mahapatra was a chief general manager in the department of banking operations and development, while Vijaya Bhasker was the regional director at Bangalore.

* Earlier, R Gandhi was looking after the banking operations and development department, while both the department of banking supervision and the department of non-banking supervision were under G Gopalakrishna. Gopalakrishna has now been given charge of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation. Gopalakrishna is also a contender for the deputy governor’s post.

* Following the induction of a new deputy governor, the central bank may re-allocate deputy governor’s portfolios. Gopinath handles nine portfolios at present, including foreign exchange department and external investment and operations.

* For the past few years, DICGC has been headed by an ED-rank officer. The chief executive officer’s post in DICGC — a wholly owned subsidiary of RBI – has been lying vacant since October 31 after H N Prasad’s retirement. In the new scheme of things, Gandhi will take charge of the department of external investment and operations which was earlier with H R Khan.