The government on Wednesday appointed Pranab Mukherjee’s long-time aide Omita Paul as the secretary to the new president on the day when he took oath. “The appointments committee of the cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Omita Paul as secretary to the president on re-employment on contract basis, in the rank and pay of secretary,” an official statement said. The 63-year-old Paul, a 1973 batch IIS officer, was an adviser to Mukherjee during his tenure as the finance minister till he resigned in June this year to contest the presidential election.
Paul has worked with Mukherjee since the 1990s.
She became his officer on special duty in 1991 when he was made the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission and accompanied him to the external affairs and defence ministries.
When the Congress was out of power, Paul was shifted back to the ministry of information and broadcasting.
Paul has served in the Press Information Bureau, Doordarshan and All India Radio before taking a voluntary retirement from the government in 2002.
She became Mukherjee’s advisor when he was successively defence, external affairs and finance minister from 2004.
The government statement said that her “tenure would be on co-terminus basis with the tenure of the president of India with effect from the date of joining as secretary or till she ceases to function as secretary or until further orders, whichever is earlier”.
Paul was also an information commissioner in the Central Information Commission for a brief period in 2009.
She became his officer on special duty in 1991 when he was made the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission and accompanied him to the external affairs and defence ministries.
When the Congress was out of power, Paul was shifted back to the ministry of information and broadcasting.
Paul has served in the Press Information Bureau, Doordarshan and All India Radio before taking a voluntary retirement from the government in 2002.
She became Mukherjee’s advisor when he was successively defence, external affairs and finance minister from 2004.
The government statement said that her “tenure would be on co-terminus basis with the tenure of the president of India with effect from the date of joining as secretary or till she ceases to function as secretary or until further orders, whichever is earlier”.
Paul was also an information commissioner in the Central Information Commission for a brief period in 2009.
