Pulok Chatterji
{{short description|Indian civil servant|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Pulok Chatterji
| image =
| image_size = 200px
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1948}}
| birth_place = Uttar Pradesh, India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation =
|title = Principal Secretary to Prime Minister of India
|term =3 October 2011 - May 2014
}}
Pulok Chatterji (born 1948) is an Indian civil servant who served as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, from 2011 to 2014.{{cite news| url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2302287.ece | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | title=Nair appointed advisor to PM, Pulok Chatterji as Principal Secretary | date=28 July 2011}}{{cite news| url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pulok-Chatterji-is-principal-secretary-to-PM-Nair-adviser/articleshow/9402317.cms | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111101055332/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-29/india/29829000_1_pmo-ias-officer-joint-secretary | url-status=live | archive-date=1 November 2011 | work=The Times of India | title=Pulok Chatterji is principal secretary to PM, Nair adviser | date=29 July 2011}} He formerly served as Executive Director to the World Bank and Joint Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office from 2004 to 2009.{{cite web | title = Pulok Chatterjee, close Sonia associate, joins PMO as Principal Secy |publisher=Indian Express
| url = http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/pulok-chatterjee-close-sonia-associate-joins-pmo-as-principal-secy/855048/
|date=3 October 2011| accessdate = 2014-05-14}}
He is a 1974 batch Indian Administrative Service officer from Uttar Pradesh cadre.
Early life and education
His late father had been Chairman of United Commercial Bank. He is an alumnus of St. Stephen's College, Delhi.
{{cite web | title = India Today High and Mighty power list 2013: Top 10 officials - | publisher= India Today | url = http://indiatoday.intoday.in/gallery/india-today-high-and-mighty-power-list-2013-the-official-top-10/1/9134.html
|date=2013| accessdate = 2014-05-14}}
Career
By 1981, he was aged 32 and Collector of Sultanpur in UP. He moved to the PMO as Deputy Secretary when Rajiv Gandhi took over as PM in 1985. He worked at the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and as Officer on Special Duty to Sonia Gandhi.{{cite web | title = Profiles: Pulok Chatterjee | url = http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?234460
|publisher=Outlook|date=23 April 2007| accessdate = 2014-05-14 }}
In 2004, when United Progressive Alliance came to power, he returned to PMO serving as Joint Secretary to Government of India before being promoted as Secretary to Government of India.
In 2012, he was awarded the C.F. Andrews Distinguished Alumni Award by the St. Stephen's College, Delhi.
Controversies and allegations
File notings available with India Today show that Pulok Chatterji, a senior official in the PMO in 2007-08, was fully aware of A. Raja's dubious decision-making in 2G spectrum case. In this note, Chatterji basically agrees that spectrum can be allotted on payment of normal fees—the existing usual fee of Rs 1,658 crore—which is what the nine licensees forked out for a pan-Indian footprint.{{cite web |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/pulok-chatterji-tainted-by-scams/1/148554.html |title=Family Choice: Pulok Chatterji tainted by scams before taking over as principal secretary to PM|author=Sandeep Bamzai |date=19 August 2011 |work=India Today |publisher= |accessdate=15 October 2011}}
As Joint Secretary in the PMO, Chatterji wrote a note on 3 December 2004, favouring Kalmadi's appointment citing the host city contract and precedent of the 1982 Asian Games. Chatterji's note said Kalmadi should head the OC, but recommended caveats to address concerns raised by then sports minister Sunil Dutt.{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/20110829-pulok-chatterji-tainted-by-scams-747288-2011-08-19|title=Pulok Chatterji tainted by scams before taking over as principal secy to PM|date=August 19, 2011|first=Sandeep |last=Bamzai|website=India Today|language=en|access-date=2019-11-10}}
In 2013, several reports state that he was responsible for tampering of the CBI coalgate report.{{Cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/videos/politics/jaitley-pulok-sot-608681.html|title=PM's secretary behind tampering of coal report: Jaitley|website=News18|access-date=2019-11-10}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/news/report/column-pmo-coal-scam-cbi/20130513.htm|title=The PMO, the coal scam, the missing sentence and the CBI|website=Rediff|language=en|access-date=2019-11-10}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20111003142048/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110730/jsp/frontpage/story_14309501.jsp PMO set to get a direct line as Chatterji’s access to 10 Janpath to alter power balance]
- [Clash of egos: Cab Sec opposes MoS rank for Pulok Chatterji Cabinet Secretary opposes MoS rank for Pulok Chatterji]
- [http://www.tehelka.com/story_main50.asp?filename=Ws141011Technology.asp Pulok Chatterji to turn Prime Ministers Office paperless]
- [http://www.firstpost.com/politics/new-pmo-man-pulok-oversaw-sonias-sloan-kettering-move-55315.html Pulok Chatterji oversaw Sonia’s Sloan Kettering move]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chatterji, Pulok}}
Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge
Category:Manmohan Singh administration