Long-time aide Omita Paul is President Mukherjee’s secretary
July 25th, 2012 - 8:51 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, July 25 (IANS) The government Wednesday appointed Pranab Mukherjee’s long-time aide Omita Paul as the secretary to the new president on the day when he took oath.
“The appointments committee of the cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Omita Paul as secretary to the president on re-employment on contract basis, in the rank and pay of secretary,” an official statement said.
The 63-year-old Paul, a 1973 batch IIS officer, was an adviser to Mukherjee during his tenure as the finance minister till he resigned in June this year to contest the presidential election.
Paul has worked with Mukherjee since the 1990s.
She became his officer on special duty in 1991 when he was made the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission and accompanied him to the external affairs and defence ministries.
When the Congress was out of power, Paul was shifted back to the ministry of information and broadcasting.
Paul has served in the Press Information Bureau, Doordarshan and All India Radio before taking a voluntary retirement from the government in 2002.
She became Mukherjee’s advisor when he was successively defence, external affairs and finance minister from 2004.
The government statement said that her “tenure would be on co-terminus basis with the tenure of the president of India with effect from the date of joining as secretary or till she ceases to function as secretary or until further orders, whichever is earlier”.
Paul was also an information commissioner in the Central Information Commission for a brief period in 2009.
- Why is Habibullah still chief CIC, ask RTI activists - Jan 14, 2010
- Decision on Indian Army chief's age soon: Antony - Apr 25, 2011
- President's website goes interactive - Aug 03, 2012
- Pranab named for president, trips Mamata with wide support (Roundup) - Jun 15, 2012
- No code breach in posting information officer: Poll panel - Apr 07, 2010
- S.Y. Quraishi is new chief election commissioner (Second Lead) - Jul 28, 2010
- Proposed Lokpal members to leave politics, business, have single term - Jun 24, 2011
- R Gopalan appointed Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs - Jan 31, 2011
- Vice presidential hopefull Jaswant Singh comes full circle - Jul 16, 2012
- Kalam congratulates Mukherjee - Jul 23, 2012
- No comment on Guru clemency: President-elect Pranab (Lead) - Jul 23, 2012
- Haryana to re-employ teachers for academic session - May 01, 2011
- Pranab is India's next president, Sangma bruised (Intro Roundup) - Jul 22, 2012
- Pranab heads for Rashtrapati Bhavan, Sangma bruised (Roundup) - Jul 22, 2012
- Pranab Unplugged: Nuggests about India's new president - Jul 22, 2012
Tags: all india radio, appointments committee, contract basis, defence ministries, deputy chairman, doordarshan, external affairs, finance minister, government statement, information commission, information commissioner, ministry of information, new president, planning commission, pranab mukherjee, president of india, presidential election, press information bureau, time aide, voluntary retirement