Ethics preaching Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa’s wife became Director of 12 companies when he became Secretary to Govt

Interesting details emerge about the wife of Ashok Lavasa, the dissenting Election Commissioner and his link with Chidambaram

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Team PGurus
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Interesting details emerge about the wife of Ashok Lavasa, the dissenting Election Commissioner and his link with Chidambaram
Interesting details emerge about the wife of Ashok Lavasa, the dissenting Election Commissioner and his link with Chidambaram

The Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa is now considered as a man of integrity to some people, especially for the Congress and Left-liberal gang who want to attack the Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora. But there are some shocking facts that happened when Lavasa was the Secretary of the Environment Ministry. Ashok Lavasa’s wife Novel Singhal Lavasa became a Board Director or an Independent Director in many big companies’ Boards 2015 onwards. This continued when he became Finance Secretary in 2016.

Like him, wife Novel is only a Post Graduate in English and resigned from State Bank of India around 2005 as Manager. Then she was managing the IAS Officer’s wives’ welfare association activities and some social activities. When she was in the SBI, she had gone for a course in Australia on Credit and Savings. Many Bankers say that she left SBI as soon as she got a promotion as Assistant General Manager.

All of a sudden Novel Singhal Lavasa got on the Board of a big sugar company Balrampur Chini Mills Limited as a Director in February 2015, when husband Ashok Lavasa was a Secretary in the Environment Ministry. Mrs. Lavasa’s entry into many Boards occurred when her husband became a secretary in the Finance Ministry in 2016.

Here are list of companies that appointed Novel Singhal Lavasa as a Director from 2015: Welspun Solar Tech Private Limited, Welspun Solar Punjab Private Limited, Balrampur Chini Mills Limited, Welspun Urja Gujarat Private Limited, Omax Autos Limited, Powerlinks Transmission Limited, Welspun Energy Rajastan Private Limited, Dugar Hydro Power Limited, Dreisatz Mysolar 24 Pvt Limited, Walwhan Wind RJ Ltd, Mi Mysolar 24 Pvt Limited and Walwhan Urja Anjar Limited.

Mr. Ashok Lavasa, can you explain how your wife Novel entered the Boards of 12 companies as a Director? As Secretary of  Finance and Environment, have you dealt with any files of the above mentioned 12 companies?

The Chidambaram connection

1980 Batch Haryana cadre IAS officer Ashok Lavasa entered the Centre in April 2009 as a Joint Secretary in Home Ministry during P Chidambaram’s tenure. In 2010, Chidambaram launched a book of Ashok Lavasa. The book has a curious name: ‘An Uncivil Servant’. When seeing his wife as Director of 12 companies, the husband’s book name – ‘An Uncivil Servant’ – is very apt. In that function, Chidambaram also launched the travel photo exhibition of the husband and wife[1].

He was handpicked by Chidambaram in the Home Ministry in 2009 and retired as the Finance Secretary in October 2017 in the Modi government. He also served as Special Secretary in Power Ministry and in Civil Aviation Ministry. Ashok Lavasa’s daughter Avny Lavasa joined IAS in 2013 in Jammu & Kashmir cadre and currently working as Deputy Commissioner in Ladakh. Long story short Lavasa was the blue-eyed boy of all Ministers from Chidambaram to Arun Jaitley and landed up with a five-year-long post-retirement job as the Election Commissioner and is soon expected to be Chief Election Commissioner after Sunil Arora’s retirement in April 2021.

PGurus earlier reported the tainted past of Sunil Arora, caught red-handed in Niira Radia tapes and lobbying for Tata Group’s interests in civil aviation, apart from other shoddy deals. The telephone transcripts between controversial lobbyist Niira Radia and Sunil Arora are published here[2].

The above-mentioned incidents of Ashok Lavasa and Sunil Arora confirm one thing – only pliable officials get plum postings as Election Commissioners.

References:

[1] Rare Pictures are shown – Sh P. Chidambaram – Mar 7, 2010, InternationaNewsAndViews.com

[2] Hectic lobbying to make Niira Radia’s friend Sunil Arora as next CEO of Prasar Bharati – Sep 2, 2016, PGurus.com

Team PGurus
Team PGurus
We are a team of focused individuals with expertise in at least one of the following fields viz. Journalism, Technology, Economics, Politics, Sports & Business. We are factual, accurate and unbiased.
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29 COMMENTS

  2. Jaitley’s role has been under a cloud on many an occasion. The time is right for his graceful exit from the cabinet. He is having serious medical issues and it is time he is eased out from the cabinet in Modi Govt 2. You have a very capable man in Peeyush Goyal for the role of Finance Minister. He has proven himself through sheer performance across various Ministeries. And he is far better qualified to run Finance Ministry than Jaitley.
    As for Lavassa, a departmental inquiry should be launched against him. That he had a dissent is not an issue. But to go public with it and also demand that the dissent be brought into the public domain by making it part of order is certainly a breach of discipline. And he has not stopped here. His protest has gone beyond all norms when he goes on to recuse himself from further proceedings until his demand is met. Such behavior, under no circumstances, can be termed a call of duty. It is the behavior of a person who is ‘Compromised’.
    In any case, he is certainly not the person to be running Election Commission as CEC, post 2021. The Government must ensure he does not become CEC.

  4. Arun Stately should be removed from BJP forthwith for misguiding and fooling Narendra Modi,The PM.
    He is working against Narendra Modi since 2013 but Modi made him his favorite Minister with 3 portfolios.
    It was a pay back of obligation for saving him from congress cases jail.
    But in last 5 years Arun Jaitely worked in connivance collusion and orders of PC.
    Now we demand Arun Jaitely be packed off for the sake of interest of people

  5. How can a news portal belonging to a gang of opportunists publish a story against their own member is the big question

  6. There seems to be a larger game plan. Wait for 23rd, Lavasa is a mere pawn but an important one. He also was the Secretary Finance when Demonetisation and GST were really very badly implemented despite the intentions of the PM being good.

  7. So far,it is difficult to understand why modi was still going on with all these tainted personalities,be these the babu’s or his teammates. Does it mean that he is unaware about what’s going on or he was helpless.ok whatsoever,now we the nationalist expect he really acts and comes up to the aspirations. He proves he is modi, the exception.

  9. Mr Iyer
    All Hindu Nationalists including you were on tenterhooks during this elections. We can only relax on 23 after BJP really wins. At least this time Modi should not waste the golden opportunity to give India a new direction. You know very well that we are supporting BJP because of our Nationalist feelings not because 2014-19 was a great period of governance. In fact I want another Nationalist party to emerge free of dynastic elements to give us a real choice. Please respond to my comments and ensure that BJP top brass should no longer take us the Nationalists for granted by just continuing Lutyens elite such as Jaitleys in the government and banish Congress friends from government.

    • PGurus is a thermometer that can tell if the patient has a fever. It is up to the doctor to cure the patient. Maybe this is a sophisticated thermometer that can tell that the patient will get a fever in a few days. Early Warning System.

  10. He was given EC post by Modiji himself due to his proximity with Jaitly ji and strong recomondations by Chidambaram ji…., Is there any doubt?

  11. Whatever maybe the connection of Mr.Lavasa’s tenure in central government and his wife’s directorship in many companies, the fact is that Mr.Lavasa has committed a grave misconduct by bringing his differences with other EC & CEC in public domain. His position demands not to act in any manner to influence voting by common people, but he has exactly done this intentionally. The nature of his grievances and the timing of his action, just before last phase of polling, had just one purpose – to influence voting. Instead of solving the issues as per defined process within the election commission he had brought them in public domain, thereby conveying to people that EC is not impartial. This has definitely influenced people against or favouring some and that is why it is a grave misconduct, that too by a person who is entrusted with the responsibility to conduct tree and fare election.
    Whatever maybe the result of the election, action as per law must be taken against him by Hon. President of India.

  12. Such a wife loving hubby. Interesting note that all power companies like Dugar Hydro, Dreisatz Mysolar, Powerlinks and Walwhan Urja are Tata Group firms and this Ashok Lavasa was Additional Secretary in Power Ministry also. How this crook was elevated. Answer is simple he is man of all corrupt politicans like Chidambaram and Jaitley etc. As Finance Secretary what he must have done. A CBI probe may be initiated seeing his wife’s postings as Director in big Corporates.

  13. lobbying- kill it with legislation- money and politics- bureaucrats are well positioned – and MPs’ & MLA’s.
    all of the f..g political parties are in it- deep and wide- the funding of parties are dark as hell- and giver and receiver are content with the mechanism in place.

    as I said before- if we have the balls – to remove money from politics- will remove a hell of a lot of corruption- that affect activities of daily living.

    and I also say- cannot wait for legislation- if one young activist/recruit for political office run on funding from individuals from his constituency- goes door to door to campaign- why he/she is best candidate for the job, meet the aspirations of constituents- and how he would enable to meet it- it would be a revelation for voters.

    will it work?- never know till someone tries. possible- plausible- probable? all it needs- one person to try and succeed- not a cake walk- if succeed-it will make national headlines- just imagine that.

    ideal for a aspiring activist- who want to do service to Bharat- at any level- NO MAKING MONEY ASPIRATION BUT SERVICE TO YOUR COUNTRY- IT WILL ENLIGHTEN THE VOTER IN BHARAT LIKE NEVER BEFORE- THE VOTER CAN FIND PERSONAL MEANING TO POWER OF HIS/HER VOTE.

    I REALLY HOPE IT HAPPENS- BHARAT IS ABSOLUTELY IDEAL TESTING GROUND. IT IS EXCITING.

    CAVEAT- WATCH OUT- THE STATUS QUO WILL FIGHT TOOTH AND NAIL AGAINST IT-

  16. As the Russian KGB officers said that the Soviets gave every year lots of Ruppees to Indian politicians Babus chaprasis ranging from 200 rs. To 2 million. Brezhnev was informed that the whole country in those days were for sale. This pimp lavasa or arora is from that category.

  17. The strong and mighty within the Sangh Parivaar [be it RSS HQ-BJP High Command] has the right to question and demand Narendar D. Mod i- Amit Shah combo for being too COMPLACENT ignoring the wake up calls to tighten the mismanagement of Finance Ministry headed by Arun Jaitley. Several Top Bureaucrats in the Govt. administration after 2014 continue to work and support P. Chidambaram and Arun Jaitley has not taken any action against them. Despite Dr. Subramanian Swamy pointing out major holes in the management of FM, RBI, SEBI, ED and CBI no firm actions to rectify have taken place. Modi is defeating his own interest by keeping Arun Jaitley as his pet boy. Well wishers in the BJP/RSS/Sangh Parivaar [be it LKA, MMJ, Nitin Gadkari, S. Gurumurthy] have the right to CHALLENGE Modi-Amit shah duo to take appropriate steps to remove Arun Jaitley and replace him with some one who is energetic in weeding out Corruption in the Central Govt. administration. Let Arun Jaitley collect hsi retainer fee as a Delhi based lawyer and NOT have anything to do with FINANCE administration of India. One area Modi failed in the last five years is the WEAKNESS and tardiness in addressing the CORRUPTION MENACE – the poll promise from 2014 that remains UNFULFILLED.

  18. On one hand I am relaxed that dynasty is not coming back. Despite several mistakes by Modi, we the Hindu Nationalists have no other choice. But I beg Modi to govern better this time by banishing all bad elements in bureaucracy. Iyer please convey the message in whatever fashion you can to Modi.

  20. Why were Sunil Arora and Ashok Lavasa appointed during NDA tenure if they had a dubious past? Was PMO not aware? Was Modi keen to prove a point that he does not mind having people with less than clean image? This needs to be understood.
    Modiji may be getting the mandate he needs. It largely means he has been given a lifeline with people who trust that his intent is not bad even if he has not been able to crack the case against the corrupt as yet. So he is actually about to begin one more tenure where the people are placing their trust. It is time he reveals why they made such poor choices in choosing people in their first term

    • Those who dont know should know that Narendra Modi is a pwan in the hands of Arun Jaitely.He went to the Shraddh of Father in Law of Arun Jaitely to Jammu although he was a congress leader.He obeyed all orders of Arun Jaitely in last 5 years as AJ has the pulse of Modi in his hands.WE are no doubt bhaklt of MODI but not blind.WE seriously abhor AJ in the new ministry.Although we voted MODI as we dont have any option from Opposition but he must come out of the clutches of AJ or ruin himself.
      ARUN JAITELY IS TROZAN HORSE, JAICHAND IN MODI GOVT AND BJP

  22. He has handpicked by Chidambaran in 2017? Please correct the typo otherwise the credibility of the article will be questioned.

  23. There seems to be some mistakes in dates. How Chidambaram can handpick anybody as Finance secretary in
    the year 2017? Another question. Who chose him for the post of Election Commissioner?

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