Senior IAS officer MM Kutty has been appointed as Chief Secretary of Delhi and is to replace incumbent K K Sharma, who was transferred as OSD in the Union HRD Ministry.

Kutty, a 1985 batch IAS officer, was appointed as Chief Secretary of Delhi, a Home Ministry officer said.

Earlier in the day, the Central Government had sent back Kutty to his parent Union Territories cadre before completion of the tenure of his Central deputation.     Till date, he was working as Additional Secretary in the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest.

The competent authority has approved premature repatriation Kutty to his cadre, an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training said. Kutty was chosen from a list of five senior bureaucrats short listed for appointment as Delhi Chief Secretary.

Kutty was Principal Secretary to then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Kutty has also been Finance Secretary in the current AAP Government.

Another officer Parimal Rai, who was the Delhi Transport Commissioner, is currently posted in Chandigarh. Rai had refused to become acting Delhi Chief Secretary when incumbent K K Sharma had gone on a 10-day leave last year.

Name of Nutun Guha Biswas is also doing rounds for the post of Delhi Chief Secretary. Biswas was former Secretary to lieutenant-Governor.

Sources said that Ministry of Home Affairs has called all the officers of AGMUT cadre who were eligible for the post of Chief Secretary to seek their opinion whether wanted the job. Except Kutty all officers such as Jalaj Srivastava, Parimal Rai and Nutan Guha Biswas declined to be the Chief Secretary.