By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, December 11, 2018: The Narendra Modi government on Tuesday appointed former Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Das, who originally hails from Odisha, will succeed Urjit Patel, who resigned as RBI Governor on Monday. He is the 25th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.

Modi initially brought Das into the Finance Ministry to head up the revenue department, later moving him to economic affairs, where he helped to spearhead the prime minister’s controversial demonetization drive in 2016.

Das is currently a member of the Finance Commission of India, and the government’s representative at the Group of 20 summits.

The post was lying vacant after Urjit Patel quit amid tiff with the government. Patel, however, cited “personal reasons” in his resignation letter on Monday.

“The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Shaktikanta Das, former Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, as Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a period of three years,” an official order said.

Das, a 1980 batch IAS officer from Tamil Nadu cadre, was a member of the Finance Commission of India.

Meanwhile, taking to Twitter, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik congratulated Das, saying he is the first from Odisha to hold the top post.

Congratulate Shri. Shaktikanta Das on appointment as Governor of Reserve Bank of India. He will be the first from #Odisha to occupy this position. Wishing him the very best.

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) December 11, 2018