Pranab brings in seasoned WB hand to head divestment

Mitra became FMs choice as he has served as secretary for Public Enterprises and Industrial Reconstruction for more than eight years during which West Bengal formulated and adopted a disinvestment policy for 26 public sector undertakings (PSUs).

Mitras concept and design was a three-track programme of closing non-viable PSUs,disinvesting up to 74 per cent in those that required a strategic push,and restructuring the financial liabilities of those that could improve with a minor fiscal push.

The disinvestment secretarys post in the finance ministry has been lying vacant since mid-June when Rahul Khullar moved to commerce to fill the position created by the transfer of GK Pillai as new home secretary.

Mitra,an IAS officer of 1975 batch,was earlier in the running for power secretary in the Union government but that post was given to HS Brahma in May.