A week after Cabinet’s approval for creation of the posts of chairman and technical members of the National Anti-Profiteering Authority under GST, the government on Tuesday appointed senior IAS officer B N Sharma as the first chairman of the apex Authority. Sharma, a 1985 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre, is at present additional secretary in the department of revenue. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment to the post in the rank and pay of secretary to the government of India, the order by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions said. Four senior officials of the rank of joint secretary and above have been appointed as technical members in the Authority. These officials are Himachal Pradesh Tax Tribunal’s chairman J C Chauhan; Kolkata’s principal commissioner GST Bijay Kumar; Meerut’s principal commissioner GST C L Mahar; and R Bhagyadevi, ADG, Systems, Chennai. The appointment orders of the chairman and of the other officials were issued on the recommendation of a selection committee, headed by cabinet secretary P K Sinha, which had revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia, CBEC chairman Vanaja Sarna and chief secretaries of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu as its members. The Authority has been set up for a two-year period, which would begin from the date Sharma assumes charge as chairman. The Authority is mandated to ensure that the benefits of input credit and the reduction in GST rates on specified goods or services are passed on to the consumers by way of a commensurate reduction in prices. The government appointed senior bureaucrat Ajay Kumar as secretary in Department of Defence Production. Kumar, a 1985-batch IAS officer, is at present additional secretary in Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. G C Murmu, additional secretary in Department of Financial Services, has been moved to the revenue department in the same capacity, the order said. Delhi's chief secretary M M Kutty has been appointed as additional secretary in the Union Finance Ministry, according to the order. Kutty, a 1985 batch IAS officer of union territories cadre, was appointed as Chief Secretary of Delhi in November last year. Raghvendra Singh, director general, National Archives has been made culture secretary. Pritam Singh, additional secretary in Corporate Affairs Ministry, will be director general, National Archives. Upendra Prasad Singh has been appointed as secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. Senior bureaucrat Apurva Chandra will be additional secretary and director general (acquisition) in defence ministry. Chandra is at present additional secretary in Department of Defence Production. The Cabinet has approved extension in the tenure of R K Jain, as Member, National Disaster Management Authority, up to November 30, 2018.
