india

Updated: Jul 25, 2019 19:41 IST

Senior bureaucrat and former finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg is likely to take over the charge of power secretary on Friday while he waits for the government’s approval to his request for voluntary retirement, officials said requesting anonymity.

Garg is expected to continue working as the power secretary till the government takes a decision on his request, officials said. He sought voluntary retirement from the government service a day after he was removed from the coveted position of the finance secretary and sent to the power ministry, which is largely perceived to be a punishment.

Handed over charge of Economic Affairs today. Learnt so much in the Finance Ministry and Economic Affairs Dept. Will take charge in Power Ministry tomorrow. Have also applied for Voluntary Retirement from the IAS with effect from 31st October. Last tweet from this handle. — Subhash Chandra Garg (@SecretaryDEA) July 25, 2019

After an abrupt end of his tenure as the senior-most secretary in the finance ministry, Garg sought voluntary retirement from the service on Thursday, officials said. Before shifted to the power ministry, he held the position of the secretary in the Department of Economic affairs (DEA) and was designated as finance secretary since he was the senior-most bureaucrat among the five secretaries in the finance ministry.

According to retired bureaucrats, the position at the finance ministry is considered a high-profile posting in comparison to the position of the power secretary. Garg’s request for voluntary retirement is subject to the acceptance of the government, they said requesting anonymity.

Garg was due to retire in October 31, 2020 on attaining of 60 years of age. He joined the service in 1983 as an IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre. He was appointed DEA secretary in June 21, 2017. In March this year, he was elevated as the finance secretary after the retirement of Hasmukh Adhia in December 2018.

The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) secretary Atanu Chakraborty (1985-batch, Gujarat cadre) has replaced Garg in the Wednesday bureaucratic reshuffle. Other secretaries in the finance ministry are Financial Services secretary Rajiv Kumar (1984-batch, Jharkhand cadre), Revenue secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey (1984-batch, Maharashtra cadre), Expenditure secretary GC Murmu (1985-batch, Gujarat cadre) and DIPAM secretary Anil Kumar Khachi (1986-batch, Himachal Pradesh cadre).