The central government on Monday appointed Finance Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi as the new union home secretary. He succeeds LC Goyal.
"The prime minister has approved the appointment of Rajiv Mehrishi as union home secretary for a period of two years with effect from August 31," an official statement said.
Mehrishi is a Rajasthan cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1978 batch.
Goyal, a Kerala cadre IAS officer of the 1979 batch, has sought voluntary retirement due to personal reasons with immediate effect and his request was approved by the prime minister.
Mehrishi will be the third Home Secretary in the Modi government. Anil Goswami, whom Goyal had replaced, had also sought voluntary retirement last year after his name figured in a CBI probe for allegedly granting favours to a Saradha Chit Fund Scam accused, states a report in The Economic Times.
Goyal was also behind the Home Ministry’s decision to deny security clearance to Sun Network for its FM and TV channels, “a decision that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting wanted the Home Ministry to review but Goyal had refused to change his stance”, adds the ET report.
Quoting sources, a report in NDTV states that there was "low synergy" between the finance and home ministries which resulted in the shuffle. Goyal, who did not “enjoy the best of ties with the government or finance ministry”, also did not have much say in the matter of leaving his post for a new officer, they added.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashutosh raised questions over the sudden appointment of a new union home secretary. He tweeted,
Will it be public in open democracy Y Home Sec has taken voluntary retirement?Is he like other secretaries who were fired by Modi govt?
— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) August 31, 2015With inputs from IANS