NEW DELHI: Newly-appointed power secretary
Subhash Chandra Garg
on Friday clarified on his voluntary retirement decision and stated that the step was taken on July 18, much before the transfer order from finance ministry.
"I had discussed voluntary retirement scheme or VRS proposal with the Prime Minister's office (PMO) on July 18, much before the transfer order," Garg said while addressing the media.
When asked whether his VRS proposal is accepted by the government, he replied that there is a due process and the proposal is under consideration as it takes time.
Listing out primary tasks at the power ministry, he said, "I have on my hand distribution reforms, issues in transmission and getting power generation."
Garg was moved out of the finance ministry and named
power secretary
apparently in the wake of several run-ins with regulators and even within the government.
"Handed over charge of economic affairs today... Will take charge in power ministry tomorrow (Friday). Have also applied for voluntary retirement from the IAS with effect from October 31," he had tweeted on Thursday.
He was in charge of the department of economic affairs (DEA), and was designated the
finance secretary
. However, in a surprise move, he was named power secretary in an order issued late on Wednesday.
As DEA secretary, he was in charge of fiscal policy, RBI-related matters, and was closely involved in the preparation of Union Budget.
The shift came just a day after Parliamentary procedure for approval of Modi 2.0 government's maiden Budget for 2019-20 was completed.
The 1983 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre, Garg came to the Centre in 2014, and was appointed executive director in the World Bank where he stayed till 2017, when he was appointed DEA secretary in June 2017. In March 2019, he was elevated as the finance secretary following retirement of A N Jha.
(With PTI inputs)
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