New Delhi: Prime Minister’s Office has carried out redistribution of work among different officials. Newly appointed Advisor in the PMO Amit Khare, former secretary of higher education and information and broadcasting (I&B) has got key departments to oversee sectors and priority areas like technology, social, welfare, education, rural as well as agriculture.
Khare was appointed in the PMO on October 13, leading to a rejig of responsibilities at the PMO which functions under 16 different verticals, reports First India newspaper.
As per the PMO redistribution, Khare will look after files of five key verticals that include the all-important social and welfare verticals, comprising important ministries like Health, Education, Social Justice, Women and Child Development, Skill Development, Youth Affairs and Sports, AYUSH, Tourism, Culture, Tribal Affairs as well as Minority Affairs.
Moreover, he will also oversee the Rural and Agriculture verticals, which comprise the important Ministries of Cooperation, Agriculture, Rural Development, Consumer Affairs, Jal Shakti, Food and Public Distribution, and Chemicals and Fertilizers.
These are key areas for PMO, given the outreach to farmers and also schemes like ‘Har Ghar Jal’ a flagship scheme to provide tap water to every household in the country.
Moreover, Khare will also oversee ministries and departments like Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, Electronics and IT, Communications, Aadhaar, Direct Benefit Transfer and Digital Payments under the ‘technology’ vertical.
Besides, the exit of Additional Secretary P Amudha from the PMO has brought about a rejig at the middle-level too, with Additional Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava taking her place and getting some big responsibilities. She has been brought in from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
In the PMO, she has been assigned the Welfare vertical handled earlier by Amudha, as well as the Social vertical.
Srivastava will submit files regarding the Welfare and Social verticals to Khare and work closely with him to oversee and monitor these crucial sectors and their issues.
Additionally, verticals of Infrastructure and Resources will submit their files through Srivastava to Principal Secretary to PM, PK Mishra who will continue to handle the most important sectors like HR vertical directly, which comprises files related to ACC appointments, Law and Justice Ministry and Cabinet Secretariat.
Meera Mohanty, who has also joined the PMO as Joint Secretary, will handle the Rural and HR vertical, and submit files regarding the former to Khare. The Rural vertical was earlier handled by Amudha.
Another Advisor to the PM, Bhaskar Khulbe will handle the Governance, Monitoring and Coordination, and Administration vertical, as well all states and Union Territories.
