APPOINTMENT prime minister’s office

APPOINTMENT

prime minister’s office

 

PM’s new image doctor

Communications advisor Pankaj Pachauri has to undo some of the damage done to the Prime Minister’s image by his earlier advisors and fill the communication and information deficit as speedily as possible

 

by Renu Mittal

 

F

or a print journalist who used to write a column on statecraft, it would have been in the fitness of things to read between the lines and quit while he was still ahead rather than have his replacement (almost) appointed without information, consultation or discussion.

This was the case of Harish Khare, media advisor to the Prime Minister, who resigned after Managing Editor with NDTV, Pankaj Pachauri, was brought in as communications advisor to the PMO without either his consent or worse without his knowledge. Sources say the information came to him out of the blue, with the clear signal that he was not exactly welcome and that it was time to put in his papers. The fact that Pachauri would be reporting to the PM’s principal secretary Pulok Chatterjee rather than Khare only made the message that more hard-hitting.

Ever since the exit of TKA Nair from the post of principal secretary to the Prime Minister, it was clear that the next to go would be Harish Khare but since he had refused to oblige and step down, sources said his hand was virtually forced when Pankaj Pachauri was brought in......READMORE