ED May Get Old Wine In New Bottle As IAS Eyeing To Return After Decades?

It's been almost ten years since an IAS officer donned the ED. The last IAS officer was Rajan S Katoch, an IAS officer in the 1979 batch who took over as ED Director In March 2012 and continued for around three years even in the changed regime in 2014. Surprisingly, Katoch was secured around two extensions by the Modi Government, contrary to what power corridors thought. Sources add, "After the regime changed, few top brasses thought that Katoch's days are numbered". A top-class economist with wide experience in the Commerce and Industry sectors, Katoch remained at the helm until his removal in August 2015, i.e., before completing his third extension in October 2015. 

Naresh Kumar, the man in the spotlight, is set to complete his extended tenure next month. His impeccable investigative skills and reputation as a hard taskmaster have set him apart, earning him a unique status in his final years of service. Kumar is not an average trusted bureaucrat; his work is characterized by a professional approach, unlike some of his counterparts who operated on a more whimsical basis.

Top sources added that Naresh Kumar is one of the key choices for the next ED Chief as his tenure is ending on the verge of "big appointments season", which is next month. Kumar has undoubtedly built up his credentials for ED Chief, especially during his Chief Secretary days. A distinction in MBA and a fine track record during his Joint Secretary days in the Ministry of Mines for almost three years provided him a good base of financial intelligence. The question of the IRS lobby battling hard to preserve its helm is recently becoming a discussion point, especially after rumours of a tussle in the appointment of CBDT Chairman broke out. If the government feels that the IRS lobby is not delivering the desired result regarding overall performance. In that case, the Government of the day may experiment with old wine in a new bottle.