Inside Raisina Hill: The Great Lutyens' Migration For Central Vista Makeover & Other Titbits

As one walks down the Hill along the Rajpath, now renamed Kartavya Path, come other edifices — Rail Bhavan, Krishi Bhavan, and Shashtri Bhavan on one side and Sena Bhavan, Udyog Bhavan, and Vanijya Bhavan on the other. The bureaucrats who adorn the offices in these buildings determine India's economic, social, and industrial policies. There are many tales to be told from the corridors of these grandiose buildings. We let you in on some of them here in this week's edition of "Inside Raisina Hill".

The Great Bureaucratic Migration Underway!

If you’ve noticed Raisina Hill babus out in the midday summer heat looking busy with cartons and packing tape, you’re not hallucinating. A massive game of musical chairs is underway in Lutyens’ Delhi — courtesy the Central Vista makeover.

The spanking new Common Central Secretariat (CCS) buildings (Parts 1, 2 & 3), are almost ready to open their glossy glass doors to India’s ever-expanding bureaucracy.

Insiders say the first ministry to begin the shift is the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA). In a missive dispatched on Monday, MoHUA ordered its various departments to get their internal act together — forming Internal Relocation Teams (fancy name for moving committees) and appointing nodal officers who will ensure nothing gets lost en route (yes, even that dusty old file marked “confidential”).

Departments headquartered in Nirman Bhawan (including the Health Ministry) have reportedly been told to pack up and get ready for the big move by the end of this month.

The Finance Ministry’s tax twins — CBDT and CBIC — have already sent in their space wish-lists, hoping to unpack their calculators in shiny new offices by mid-July. Word is that among the North Block heavyweights, Finance and Home may follow next, possibly as early as August. South Block will then follow like a well-trained protocol officer.

Meanwhile, "lesser" departments like the Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), Inter-State Council Secretariat, and India Invest have already been quietly relocated to the underwhelming Jodhpur Officers' Hostel near India Gate.

So if you spot a convoy of government SUVs loaded with staplers, potted palms, and disgruntled babus — don’t be surprised. Delhi’s biggest bureaucratic migration since Independence is now officially in motion.

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Allocates Duties To Her Secys

Nearly a month after their appointments, the two AGMUT cadre IAS officers posted as secretaries to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta — Vikas Anand (2002-batch) and Madhu Rani Teotia (2008-batch) — have been allocated their respective duties by the CM.

Anand, who was repatriated to his home cadre barely two months after taking over as the CEO of the National Land Monetisation Corporation (NLMC), has been given difficult, on-field assignments considering his experience. 

He will look after the Public Works Department, Legislative Affairs, Irrigation & Flood Control, Water, Gurdwara Elections, Home, Power, Urban Development, Education, Higher Education, Training & Technical Education, Industries, Food & Supplies, Environment, Forest & Wildlife, Health & Family Welfare, Transport, and Information Technology.

Teotia has been allotted work that can be best classified as theoretical, office, and compliance-related. She will look after General Administration, Services, Finance, Revenue, Women and Child Development, Land and Building, Information & Public Relations, Vigilance, Administrative Reforms, Planning, Social Welfare, SC & ST Welfare, Cooperatives, Elections, Law & Justice, Labour, Employment, Development, Art, Culture & Languages, and Tourism. 

Let's hope Delhi gets its administrative act together before the monsoons!

Chandigarh Buzz: Haryana CS Getting An Extension?

Looks like Anurag Rastogi isn’t going to retire just yet! The current Chief Secretary of Haryana, a 1990-batch IAS officer, is set to get a little bonus time at the top.

Rastogi, who is supposed to retire on June 30, is likely to continue in his chair beyond that date. The state government is reportedly pulling the strings to get an extension for him. Word is that a formal request is being prepared and will soon be sent for the Centre’s nod.

For those who missed the shuffle earlier this year, Rastogi landed Haryana's top bureaucratic post in February, after the previous CS, Vivek Joshi (1989 batch), was appointed as an Election Commissioner of India. The Nayab Singh Saini-led government wasted no time and put Rastogi in the hot seat.

Insiders say his extension has been quietly cleared at the highest level. So, unless there’s a sudden last-minute change, Rastogi looks set to stay firmly in charge. Let the files keep moving!

Best Officer Award For UP IAS Officer 

Earlier this week, Saumya Pandey, a 2016-batch IAS officer of the UP cadre, received the best officer’s award at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA). 

The award was presented to Pandey by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at a function in LBSNAA’s campus in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. She was chosen for her performance during the 22nd Mid-Career Training Programme at the academy. 

Saumya has earlier won awards for ‘Best Presentation’ and ‘Best Case Study’ that showcase her intellectual rigour and practical insight. She had secured the All India 4th rank in the 2016 Civil Services Examination conducted by the UPSC, and is currently serving as Additional Labour Commissioner at Kanpur.

The latest accolade of this gold medallist engineer from Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology in Prayagraj not only affirms her calibre, but is also a moment of pride for her cadre.

Hunt For Niti Aayog Boss Is On

Babudom is buzzing with excitement. Sources say the government is reportedly hunting for a new Vice-Chairperson of Niti Aayog. The incumbent, Suman Bery, is rumoured to be on the way out due to a lack of communication with the PMO. 

The new appointee is expected to bring much-needed spark to the policy think tank, which some insiders feel has been drifting under the current leadership. CEO BVR Subrahmanyam has reportedly been shouldering the bulk of the workload.

As the government looks to rev up economic growth, this potential change of guard is being closely watched. Who will be the lucky one to grab the coveted spot? Will it be a seasoned bureaucrat, a policy wonk or an economic expert? The suspense is killing!

One thing is for sure — the new Vice-Chairperson will need to be connected with the PMO and have the skills to drive policy initiatives forward. With the stakes high, the anticipation is building. Stay tuned for more updates.

Here's another revelation: The new Vice-Chairperson's tenure will likely be tied to the current government's tenure. This means they will have to hit the ground running and make a meaningful impact quickly. No pressure, right?

(Contributed by Pawan Kumar & Jayanta Roy Chowdhury; curated by Bodhisattwa Maity)