`Soft’ Home Secretary B P Singh shunted out

The Congress, meanwhile, has criticised the transfers. “This is not a question of violation of any code of conduct, but violation of the law followed by all Governments since 1951,” said All India Congress Committee General Secretary Pranab Mukherjee. “A caretaker Government,” he maintained, “cannot engage in posting and transfer of senior officials when elections are due.”

Home Ministry officials have described Singh’stransfer — he has been sent to the Health Ministry as Secretary — as “routine” but observers say there is more to it. It is learnt that the Government was actively thinking of replacing Singh with a “tougher man,” more so now, when the elections are round the corner.

Health Secretary K K Bakshi has been shifted to the Planning Commission as advisor. One reason being attributed to this is his “mishandling” of the recent All India Institute of Medical Sciences strike. As for Social Welfare Secretary P K Manawalam, sources say Maneka Gandhi had a role to play in his transfer to the HRD Ministry. For the Minister and the Secretary did not get along, it is being claimed.

Manawalam has been replaced by Asha Das, Secretary, Official Languages in the Home Ministry.

In place of Kamal Pandey, Bhaskar Barua is the new Agriculture Secretary. M K Kaw, Advisor, Planning Commission, has been shifted to the Department of Education as Secretary, while P R Dasgupta, Education Secretary, has moved on to PlanningCommission as advisor.

N N Mookherjee, on return from leave has been made Secretary, Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Resources. C R Kamalnathan, Secretary in the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Resources, has been sent back to his home State of Andhra Pradesh. Satish Chandra, an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1965 batch and Chairman, Intelligence Committee (Cabinet Secretariat), has been re-designated as Secretary, National Security Council Secretariat.