NAFED post goes to Agriculture official, week later to Cooperation

It is learnt that the Agriculture Ministry, successful an bid connected September 23, assigned further complaint of MD, NAFED, to Muktanand Agrawal, Joint Secretary successful the Ministry. The bid was issued a time aft Ritesh Chauhan demitted bureau arsenic MD. The bid was issued “with support of the Competent Authority” – successful this lawsuit the Agriculture Minister, sources said, adding that the bid was besides copied to NAFED and the Department of Personnel and Training.

Agrawal was assigned further complaint of MD, NAFED, sources said, “in summation to his existing duties, till assignment of a regular incumbent to the station oregon until further orders, whichever is earlier.” Since helium was distant connected predetermination work successful Haryana, wherever helium was deployed arsenic a Central Observer for the Assembly elections, the Agriculture Ministry asked Dr Pramod Kumar Meherda, Additional Secretary successful the Ministry, to instrumentality the further complaint until Agrawal’s instrumentality from canvass duty.

But connected September 30, the ACC issued an bid that took distant the further complaint from the Agriculture Ministry’s choice.

“The Competent Authority has approved duty of further complaint of the station of Managing Director, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) nether the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare to Shri Pankaj Kumar Bansal, lAS (TN:97), Additional Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, initially for a play of 3 months with contiguous effect oregon till the assignment of a regular incumbent to the station oregon until further orders, whichever is earlier,” stated the bid issued by Manisha Saxena, Secretary, Appointments Committee of the Cabinet and Establishment Officer.

Established connected October 2, 1958, the NAFED is registered nether the Multi State Co-operative Societies Act. It comes nether the Ministry of Agriculture and the Agriculture Minister answers NAFED-related queries successful Parliament. While the Board of NAFED is liable for appointing its MD, it approves the authoritative appointed by the authorities to the post.

Sources said the ACC’s determination to delegate further complaint of MD, NAFED, to an authoritative different than the 1 decided by the Agriculture Ministry is unusual.

Responding to a query from The Indian Express, a spokesperson for the Agriculture Ministry said, “Agriculture Ministry gives complaint connected purely impermanent ground to JS, Agriculture to capable vacancy successful the interim till ACC orders. Now ACC has fixed complaint to AS, Cooperation. It is routine.”

Sources, however, pointed retired that past year, the ACC had approved the Agriculture Ministry’s determination to springiness Ritesh Chauhan further complaint of MD, NAFED, aft the status of Rajbir S. Panwar, an Indian Forest Service serviceman of the Gujarat cadre, connected April 30, 2023.

On December 31, 2023, the ACC bid stated: “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the connection of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare for hold of entrustment of further complaint of the station of Managing Director, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) nether the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare to Shri Ritesh Chauhan, IAS (HP:2005) for a play from 01.08.2023 to 22.09.2024 oregon until further orders, whichever is earlier.”