Plum posting for Kamal Nath’s personal secy raises eyebrows
31 Aug 2014 5:12 AM IST
The appointment of Ashish Kundra, personal secretary to former union minister Kamal Nath as the administrator of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli (DNH), the centrally administered territories on the west coast, has created a political furore. Even after the direction from Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to put the personal staff of former ministers under scanner, the posting of Kundra to such a plum position by the ministry of home affairs has raised quite a few eyebrows.
Kundra, who joined UT administration on 18 August, is facing the ire of NDA ministers, who have not been allowed to select private secretaries of their choice. Daman & Diu & DNH, considered a wet posting, has Gujarat as its immediate neighbour. Kundra is a 1996 batch IAS officer of AGMUT cadre.
‘It has been decided by the competent authority that any officer/official/private person who has worked earlier in the personal staff of a minister in any capacity for any duration may not be appointed in the personal staff of ministers in the present government,’ a circular issued by Mamta Kundra, joint secretary, department of personnel and training (DoPT) had said.
The DoPT, which Modi heads as the prime minister, had earlier asked all ministries to take prior approval of the appointments committee of the cabinet before appointing a PS or an officer on special duty to a minister.
Kundra, who joined UT administration on 18 August, is facing the ire of NDA ministers, who have not been allowed to select private secretaries of their choice. Daman & Diu & DNH, considered a wet posting, has Gujarat as its immediate neighbour. Kundra is a 1996 batch IAS officer of AGMUT cadre.
‘It has been decided by the competent authority that any officer/official/private person who has worked earlier in the personal staff of a minister in any capacity for any duration may not be appointed in the personal staff of ministers in the present government,’ a circular issued by Mamta Kundra, joint secretary, department of personnel and training (DoPT) had said.
The DoPT, which Modi heads as the prime minister, had earlier asked all ministries to take prior approval of the appointments committee of the cabinet before appointing a PS or an officer on special duty to a minister.
Next Story
