Top babu moves to commerce ministry

The Delhi government’s principal secretary (Finance) and 1986 batch IAS officer Sanjeev Nandan Sahai has been appointed as additional secretary, department of commerce, ministry of commerce and industry at the Centre. Mr Sahai would replace Arvind Mehra, a 1984 batch IAS officer of Himachal Pradesh on completion of his tenure on September 28. The appointment of Mr Sahai was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Saturday. He is expected to join his new posting by October 3.

The Delhi government is already short of senior and competent IAS officers to handle important departments like finance and home. Now the question is being raised in the bureaucratic circles as to who would replace Mr Sahai in the finance department.

Mr Sahai, who is considered close to deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in the AAP government, had been transferred to Goa in July but the order was kept in abeyance.

Known for expediting projects and taking strong decisions on policy matters, Mr Sahai was the most sought after officer in the AAP government. He was on Central deputation at Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Ltd for a period of five years before joining the city administration. He had vociferously supported the concept of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Earlier this year, a major controversy was raked after Delhi home minister Satyendra Jain ordered the department’s deputy secretaries and additional secretaries to report directly to him without involving home secretary S.N. Sahai in all matters other than public order, police and its service matters.