New Delhi: In a significant reshuffle within the Finance Ministry, 1992 batch senior IAS officer Arunish Chawla (Bihar cadre) has been transferred from his role as Revenue Secretary to head the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM). The move comes just weeks before the presentation of the Union Budget on February 1, 2025.
While 1987 batch IAS officer Tuhin Kanta Pandey (Odisha cadre), the current Secretary of DIPAM and Finance Secretary, will succeed Chawla as the new Revenue Secretary.
This reshuffle is seen as a strategic step by the government to bolster leadership in the Finance Ministry as preparations for the critical Union Budget intensify. The personnel ministry issued the order on Wednesday, confirming these adjustments.
Arunish Chawla was appointed as Revenue Secretary on December 25, 2024, following his tenure as the Secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals.
Tuhin Kanta Pandey had been serving as DIPAM Secretary, along with the additional charge of the Secretary of the Department of Public Enterprises.
Under the new order, Chawla will also assume the additional charge of Secretary for the Department of Public Enterprises, a responsibility previously held by Pandey. Moreover, Chawla will continue to serve as the Secretary for the Ministry of Culture until a regular incumbent is appointed, or until further orders are issued.
Chawla’s appointment and the reshuffle in the Finance Ministry come at a crucial time as the government prepares for the upcoming Union Budget, where fiscal policies and budgetary allocations are expected to be finalized for the next financial year.
