Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to appoint finance secretary Hashmukh Adhia as the next Union Cabinet Secretary. The incumbent P K Sinha retires on August 1.


Adhia is the eyes and ears of the Prime Minister and has also been revenue secretary for two years. He drove the PM's biggest initiatives -- demonetisation and GST -- and has been an old hand in the finance ministry.


Interestingly, it has been Adhia who has followed up many of the Enforcement Directorate cases against former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav and his daughter Misa. The PM has received daily briefings about the CBI and ED raids on former finance minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti, thanks to Adhia.


A 1981 IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, Adhia has always been a close confidante of Narendra Modi. He served as Principal Secretary to Modi from 2003-06, when Modi was Chief Minister of Gujarat.