In a significant administrative shake-up, the Delhi government has transferred 42 senior officers, including IAS and IPS officers, in what is considered the first major bureaucratic reshuffle since the Rekha Gupta government assumed power in February. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued the transfer orders for these officers of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre.
This large-scale reshuffle involves both transfers out of Delhi and the recalling of officers from other Union Territories. The changes affect key administrative positions, with officers being moved to states and Union Territories including Jammu and Kashmir, Mizoram, Puducherry, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Key Transfers:
- Ashish Chandra Verma: The Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) and holding important positions in Revenue, Home, and Irrigation, has been transferred to Jammu and Kashmir. Verma, a 1994-batch officer, had reportedly experienced policy differences with the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, including allegations of delayed fund releases.
- Anil Kumar Singh: The Additional Chief Secretary, Environment and Forest, and a 1995-batch IAS officer, has also been shifted to Jammu and Kashmir.
- Sudhir Kumar: Principal Secretary of the Vigilance Department, a 1999-batch IAS officer, has been transferred to Mizoram.
- K.M. Uppu: Special Secretary of Home, a 2009 batch officer, has been transferred to Puducherry.
- Sachin Shinde: Special Secretary of Transport, a 2008 batch officer, has been moved to Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- Devesh Kumar Mahla: New Delhi District DCP, has been transferred to Arunachal Pradesh.
- B S Jaiswal: Joint Commissioner of Police (Central Range), has been sent to Lakshadweep.
- Keshav Ram Chaurasia: Delhi Police Joint Commissioner, has been shifted to Goa.
- Apoorva Gupta: DCP (Crime), has been transferred to Andaman and Nicobar.
Officers Posted to Delhi:
Several officers have been transferred to Delhi from other states and Union Territories. These include:
- Vijay Kumar Bhiduri: A 2005-batch officer, previously serving as divisional commissioner in J&K, has been called to Delhi.
- Dilraj Kaur: A 2000-batch officer, has been asked to return to Delhi after a transfer from Andaman and Nicobar. She previously held various offices in Delhi, including Secretary (PWD) and in the MCD.
- Arun Kumar Mishra: A 2012 batch officer, has been transferred from Goa to Delhi.
Other Notable Transfers and Postings:
- Navin Kumar Chaudhary, previously Additional Chief Secretary of Irrigation and Flood Control and General Administration Departments, has been appointed as the new ACS of the Public Works Department.
- Bipul Pathak, the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Industries, has been given the additional charge of ACS Environment and Forest.
- Nikhil Kumar will be the new health secretary and also hold the additional charge of IT secretary.
The large-scale reshuffle has led to some officers holding additional charges of important departments, a situation that may not be sustainable in the long run. The reshuffle is perceived as an attempt to bring the bureaucracy closer to the Centre's policy priorities and to inject new administrative vigor into the governance of Delhi and other Union Territories. Some view the reshuffle as a routine and strategically timed move to strengthen administrative delivery and law enforcement.
