Former Union finance secretary Hasmukh Adhia, who is credited with successful implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), has been appointed as the chief advisor to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, an official said on Tuesday. The government has also appointed SS Rathod, the managing director of Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Limited and former CMD of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited, as the chief minister's advisor, a government release stated.
"Adhia will render services as the chief advisor to the chief minister in finance, economic affairs, education, energy and non-conventional energy, policies related to investments and their monitoring and other areas as decided by the state government," it said. Adhia served as the finance and revenue secretary and retired on November 30, 2018. He is currently serving as non-executive chairman of the Bank of Baroda and chancellor of the Central University of Gujarat.
Rathod, a retired Gujarat Engineering Service officer, served as secretary in the Gujarat government's roads and buildings department and water resources department. He retired as additional chief secretary in 2014. In 2018, he was honoured with India's civilian award Padma Shri for his contribution to infrastructural development.
As per the release, Rathore will act as an advisor to the chief minister for policy related monitoring and work in road-building, civil aviation, metro rail projects and railways, water resources, Narmada and Kalpsar. The tenure of both Adhia and Rathod will be for the duration of the Chief Minister's tenure or until further orders, whichever is earlier, it stated.
Adhia holds several other posts including that of the vice chairman of the Board of Deendayal Energy University and Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI) and as a member of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru.
Rathod is credited with developing major highways in Gujarat. He introduced the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) road development model, the first of its kind in India. Rathore is also famous as the "Highway and Canal Man" of the state, the release said.
