The Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa is now considered as a man of integrity to some people, especially for the Congress and Left-liberal gang who want to attack the Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora. But there are some shocking facts that happened when Lavasa was the Secretary of the Environment Ministry. Ashok Lavasa’s wife Novel Singhal Lavasa became a Board Director or an Independent Director in many big companies’ Boards 2015 onwards. This continued when he became Finance Secretary in 2016.

Like him, wife Novel is only a Post Graduate in English and resigned from State Bank of India around 2005 as Manager. Then she was managing the IAS Officer’s wives’ welfare association activities and some social activities. When she was in the SBI, she had gone for a course in Australia on Credit and Savings. Many Bankers say that she left SBI as soon as she got a promotion as Assistant General Manager.

All of a sudden Novel Singhal Lavasa got on the Board of a big sugar company Balrampur Chini Mills Limited as a Director in February 2015, when husband Ashok Lavasa was a Secretary in the Environment Ministry. Mrs. Lavasa’s entry into many Boards occurred when her husband became a secretary in the Finance Ministry in 2016.

Here are list of companies that appointed Novel Singhal Lavasa as a Director from 2015: Welspun Solar Tech Private Limited, Welspun Solar Punjab Private Limited, Balrampur Chini Mills Limited, Welspun Urja Gujarat Private Limited, Omax Autos Limited, Powerlinks Transmission Limited, Welspun Energy Rajastan Private Limited, Dugar Hydro Power Limited, Dreisatz Mysolar 24 Pvt Limited, Walwhan Wind RJ Ltd, Mi Mysolar 24 Pvt Limited and Walwhan Urja Anjar Limited.

Mr. Ashok Lavasa, can you explain how your wife Novel entered the Boards of 12 companies as a Director? As Secretary of Finance and Environment, have you dealt with any files of the above mentioned 12 companies?

The Chidambaram connection

1980 Batch Haryana cadre IAS officer Ashok Lavasa entered the Centre in April 2009 as a Joint Secretary in Home Ministry during P Chidambaram’s tenure. In 2010, Chidambaram launched a book of Ashok Lavasa. The book has a curious name: ‘An Uncivil Servant’. When seeing his wife as Director of 12 companies, the husband’s book name – ‘An Uncivil Servant’ – is very apt. In that function, Chidambaram also launched the travel photo exhibition of the husband and wife[1].

He was handpicked by Chidambaram in the Home Ministry in 2009 and retired as the Finance Secretary in October 2017 in the Modi government. He also served as Special Secretary in Power Ministry and in Civil Aviation Ministry. Ashok Lavasa’s daughter Avny Lavasa joined IAS in 2013 in Jammu & Kashmir cadre and currently working as Deputy Commissioner in Ladakh. Long story short Lavasa was the blue-eyed boy of all Ministers from Chidambaram to Arun Jaitley and landed up with a five-year-long post-retirement job as the Election Commissioner and is soon expected to be Chief Election Commissioner after Sunil Arora’s retirement in April 2021.

PGurus earlier reported the tainted past of Sunil Arora, caught red-handed in Niira Radia tapes and lobbying for Tata Group’s interests in civil aviation, apart from other shoddy deals. The telephone transcripts between controversial lobbyist Niira Radia and Sunil Arora are published here[2].

The above-mentioned incidents of Ashok Lavasa and Sunil Arora confirm one thing – only pliable officials get plum postings as Election Commissioners.

References:

[1] Rare Pictures are shown – Sh P. Chidambaram – Mar 7, 2010, InternationaNewsAndViews.com

[2] Hectic lobbying to make Niira Radia’s friend Sunil Arora as next CEO of Prasar Bharati – Sep 2, 2016, PGurus.com