Strange as it may appear, Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia, though talking openly about his retirement plans, has been discreetly working behind the scenes for seeking an extension. In an unprecedented move, he initiated the file for his own extension and also got it personally approved by the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. However, a source in the Cabinet Secretariat has confirmed to PGurus that the order in this regard will be issued only after a clearance from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is obtained.
It is an open secret that Hasmukh Adhia treated the Ministers of State (MoS) in the Finance Ministry – present and past – with utter contempt that they were not even provided with details of the important meetings. An official presently working in the ministry, on condition of anonymity said, Adhia would not even attend the meetings pertaining to the sensitive NDPS Act related (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act ) matters chaired by the MoS which is not just an important policy decision but also a politically sensitive matter to the BJP in the poll-bound states like Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh. It is significant to mention that all these issues were handled by Joint Secretary Udai Singh Kumawat till his shunting out from the North Block.
The contempt does not end there. There is a pattern in Adhia’s behaviour that implies his arrogation of the “super finance minister” chair. In the run up to the implementation of GST, the PMO constituted a group of ministers (GoM) to look into and examine the matters concerning the GST roll out. Surprising as it may sound, Adhia not just skipped every meeting of the GoM but also discarded all the recommendations they made, which were slowly implemented after the disastrous implementation of GST, Hasmukh Adhia style. North block insiders, have confided to PGurus, that he treated former Finance Minister Piyush Goyal, not just with contempt but also held back all the important transfer / posting files and never discussed them with Goyal. Adhia had shown audacity to direct to many Joint Secretaries not to send files to Piyush Goyal!
It is important to note that Piyush Goyal is seen as a Minister close to the Prime Minister and by virtue of handling the party finances is known for his proximity to party president Amit Shah. Will the Prime Minister go ahead and grant an extension to Hasmukh Adhia when he has been ill-treating the political executive consistently?
“Arrogance is the surname of the Finance Secretary” said a senior member of a trade body. In an interaction with Hasmukh Adhia, while they requested for a change in the GST rate, according to this member who requested anonymity, Adhia casually remarked “why don’t you change your business model?”
Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has filed around three dozen RTI applications in the Finance Ministry and also has requested the Finance Minister for sanction of prosecution against Hasmukh Adhia. Sources in North block have confirmed to PGurus that Adhia has directed all the concerned Joint Secretaries that no information must be parted without his unofficial clearance and in all cases, the information must be denied as far as possible. Swamy also filed petition to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for Sanction for Prosecution of Adhia for accepting Gold Biscuits from fugitive Nirav Modi as Diwali Gift in 2016.
In the first time in bureaucratic history, not only has Adhia moved his own file for extension, but has set another benchmark by writing letters to the PMO stating his willingness to work in the Election Commission, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and also the Comptroller and Auditor General! The grapevine is that the UPSC presently does not have a full time chairman and member Arvind Saxena, an officer from the 1978 batch of the Indian Postal Service is officiating as the Chairman and Hasmukh Adhia, following the footsteps of Deepak Gupta is making every possible attempt to be directly appointed as the Chairman of UPSC. If none of this works, last ditch efforts are also on to move Adhia to the PMO by this all-powerful cabal of four bureaucrats.
Finally, Adhia has been faking an incorrect excuse for premising his extension – the union budget. With the general elections round the corner, there will be no budget and it will be a vote on account in February 2019. Why is Hasmukh Adhia so desperate for an extension? What does he want to hide that he is directing his officers to deny the information sought under the RTI? Will the Prime Minister grant an extension to bureaucrat who has been consistently treating his cabinet colleagues with contempt and finally will the cabal of G4 succeed in convincing the Prime Minister about Adhia’s extension? We will get the answers to all these questions in the next ten days. Watch out for this space as PGurus will be reporting on these developing stories.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi: A Gujju businessman who does not invest his precious time for a losing battle - April 13, 2024
- NIA arrests two accused Shazib and Taahaa in Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe blast case from Kolkata - April 12, 2024
- National Herald scam: Adjudicating Authority upholds Rs.752 crore assets attached by ED - April 11, 2024
While Modi played an outstanding role in matters related to diplomacy and international stature of India, he has paid LITTLE attention in controlling the “A- Company” of BJP that has BUNGLED matters related to Finance Admin. [Demonetization and GST Implementation] and CBI-investigations involving Top Corruption Charges against the Congress Stalwarts and others having dubious links with Gujarat Connection. Who let down Modi are: Mr. Arun Jaitley, Dr. Hasmukh Adhia, IAS, Mr. Rakesh Asthana, and Mr. Amit Shah. Mr. Alok Verma and Dr. Rajeshwar Singh are honest upright Officers with clean record. They were unnecessarily taken to task at the behest of Arun J and Hasmukh Adhia and Rakesh. Asthana. Any more Stalling and Delays caused in Aircel Maxis and INX-media cases would lead to major losses for the BJP. PM Modi is URGED to take immediate actions to DO APPROPRIATE COURSE CORRECTIONS so these cases won’t fail and the appropriate verdicts will come out from the Delhi courts hearing these cases. Frustrating to see repeated postponement of hearings on flimsy grounds and it is quite evident that the Finance Ministry, ED and CBI are not giving the Relevant documents and details to Prosecute the Culprits [Netas and Top Bureaucrats linked to P.C.]. Hope situation similar to 2-G verdict would not come to haunt the BJP and Modi Admin.
It is high time PM act quickly and reject extension of Hasmukh Adia. If he couldn’t do this, he will lose faith of millions of his followers. It shows that the babus r running the Govt, which is a worst situation. His followers need to contact PM through Namo App.
Can PGurus confirm through it’s technology whether PM Modi ji subscribed to PGurus newsApp, Youtube,fb,twitter on his personal mobile? ,and if so list the items that PM Modo ji personally read/watched/followed.PGurus is an ultimate source for him to directly know that he not know even from his own PMO!!!
it is too late
Minister and Secretary colluded and brought this country to suffer in all financial matters and Modi as PM has no voice and unable to hear the voices of people. People are alert and now the real picture will emerge in 2019
Great journalism. Credit need to be given where it deserves. No other channel reports this. All said, i guess only God knows where Modi is upto. Keeping an incompetent AJ in the important position and having all other incompetent bureaucrats around him. We, do not have a better alternative to govern us or to elect. Hopefully next 10 days, as reported, will be a game changeover where good prevails over evil and real vijayaDasami is celebrated.
Goddess of success and remover of illusion may prevail in Modis mind.
Narendra modi is obsessed with his Gujarat chief minister ship’s success.Unfortunately,he will pay the price for equating gujratis with the rest of India.Modi has made a creep like Rahul Gandhi look like a future PM of india.
Traitors will always be there. The need is to quickly get them out once it has been figured out. Once that is done, all other things will fall in place. When he is removed his entire gang should be removed as well.
He might have also spoiled finances of all autonomous bodies. Spoiled implementation of 7cpc to all employees
Dr. Swamy has mentioned on several occasions that the bureaucrats are the ones playing mischief in government. But the stories revealed in this post are shocking; never thought a bureaucrat could wield so much power. Modi must act now. If Modi is unaware of these activities, then he’s incompetent and lost control of his govt. If he’s aware and yet doesn’t act, then he’s complicit/compromised.
I agree with your comment PM become useless for the people who voted him for PM. he feels inferior to the FM and also Finance secretary by his actions.
await with clasped hands in prayer for this crook to be charged. Dr. Swamy is India’s hope for redemption.
Now a days the Indian Top Babu’s are also following the footsteps of Indian Politician families.This man has too many Top Godfathers like Ahmedmiya.Shakunibhai and above all our own 56″ so no worries.He will get a wonderful Gift for all his Wrong And Corrupt Acts.Sure.
Narendra Modi should throw both MoF and Secretary to garbage soon.If he has to win 2019 election he must get rid of both to cleanse himself from corruption & nepotism charges.Arun Jaitely worked very hard to extend tenure of Raghuram Rajan ,RBI governor but when Social media raised concern over the issue PMO intervened and his tenure was not extended. We have warned PM several times that Adhia is involved in sex escapades along with that Kumawat but he was retained by AJ with blatant misuse of his post by Arun Jaitely.It seems some secrets are held with AJ who is blackmailing MODI and retained as MoF.WE aagain warn NDA govt to retain the neutrality Honesty of MODI and throw all these traitors out of Govt soon else WE will vote against MODI.
terrible but a bit too late
Aadhia is indeed very arrogant, he showed his arrogance in one of the GST function at Bhubaneswar where he humiliated and demeaned one of the officer of Oil company when he asked GST implication on some practical issue related to respective industry which any one can understand….but he arrogantly refused and denied to reply….