New Delhi: A statement released by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions said that Ajay Narayan Jha has been appointed as the new Finance Secretary. He is a 1982 batch Manipur cards IAS officer who is set to retire on January 31, a day before the interim budget is presented.

After Jha's retirement, economic affairs secretary Subhash Chandra Garg, a 1983 batch Rajasthan carde IAS officer, will be the senior-most secretary in the ministry and will perhaps take charge as the finance secretary

The post, which is more of a ceremonial position for the senior most secretary in the finance ministry, had fallen vacant after revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia retired on November 30. After Adhia's retirement, a rejig is on the way in the Finance Ministry with Gireesh Chandra Murmu, a Gujarat cadre 1985 IAS officer, set to take over as the expenditure secretary on February 1. And Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) chief executive officer Ajay Bhushan Pandey, a 1984 batch Maharashtra cadre IAS officer, is set to succeed Adhia as revenue secretary.

Even as Jha has got a promotion, he is set to retire in less than two months. After his retirement, economic affairs secretary Subhash Chandra Garg, a 1983 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS officer, will be the senior-most secretary in the ministry and will perhaps take charge as the finance secretary.

The other two secretaries in the finance ministry are financial services secretary Rajiv Kumar, a 1984-batch Jharkhand cadre IAS officer and DIPAM (Department of Investment and Public Asset Management) Secretary Atanu Chakraborty, a 1985-batch Gujarat-cadre IAS officer.