Cabinet committee appoints full-time MD for Agri Ministry’s NAFED, just days after temporary hand-off to Cooperation Ministry

On October 21, The Indian Express reported— “NAFED post: Agriculture gives it to own official, week later it goes to Cooperation.”

The ACC, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation, as its only other ministerial member. It is responsible for appointing senior officials to key positions in the Central government, public sector undertakings and autonomous bodies.

It is learnt that the Agriculture Ministry, in an order on September 23, assigned additional charge of MD, NAFED, to Muktanand Agrawal, a Joint Secretary in the ministry. The order was issued a day after Ritesh Chauhan demitted office as MD. The order was issued “with approval of the Competent Authority” — in this case the Agriculture Minister, sources said.

But on September 30, the ACC appointed Pankaj Kumar Bansal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, as the MD, NAFED, initially for “a period of three months or till the appointment of a regular incumbent to the post.”