Gujarat Government Implements Major Bureaucratic Reshuffle, Transfers 64 IAS Officers

In a significant administrative overhaul, the Gujarat government announced the transfer and promotion of 64 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, marking a major shift in the state's bureaucratic landscape just a day after Pankaj Joshi assumed office as the new Chief Secretary.

Key Appointments and Promotions

Banchhanidhi Pani has been appointed as the Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner, while Avantika Singh Aulakh has been given additional responsibility as Managing Director of Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited.

P Swaroop, formerly the Commissioner of Land Reforms and ex-officio Secretary to the Revenue Department, will now serve as the Industries Commissioner, taking over from Sandip Sagale, who will move to lead the Sports Authority of Gujarat (SAG) as Director General.

Leadership Changes Across Departments

The reshuffle includes pivotal changes, such as Remya Mohan Muthadath transitioning to Commissioner of Municipalities Administration, alongside roles as Managing Director of Gujarat Urban Development Company Limited and Additional Chief Executive Officer of the Gujarat Urban Development Mission. This move relieves Rajkumar Beniwal from his additional duties.

Pravin Solanki has been appointed as the Director General of Mahatma Gandhi Labour Institute, replacing Rao, while Dinesh Gurav, the Director of Higher Education, will temporarily handle the Director of Technical Education role due to Pani’s transfer.

Promotions to Higher Administrative Grade (HAG)

Four IAS officers have ascended to the Higher Administrative Grade, including Vinod Rao, now Principal Secretary of the Labour, Skill Development, and Employment Department. Additionally, the outgoing Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner has been promoted to Principal Secretary of the Sports, Youth, and Cultural Activities Department, relieving Ashwani Kumar of additional responsibilities.

Milind Torawane has been promoted to Principal Secretary and will now serve as Managing Director of Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Limited (GSPC). Anupam Anand, currently Commissioner of Transport, will continue in his role with a new rank as Principal Secretary.

Strategic Transfers and New Responsibilities

Rahul Gupta, formerly Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC), has been reassigned as Secretary of the Climate Change Department, succeeding Sanjeev Kumar. Praveena DK, previously Ahmedabad Collector, will assume Gupta's previous role.

Ranjeeth Kumar J has been appointed as the State Project Director of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, succeeding Lalit Narayan Singh Sandhu, who now serves as Collector of Sabarkantha-Himmatnagar. Kumar will also retain his position as Secretary of the Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC).

Elevations in District Leadership

Eleven IAS officers, including six district collectors, have been elevated to the super-time scale of IAS in Level 14 of the pay matrix. This includes Kuldeep Arya, CEO of Special Projects Dholera SIR and Mandal Becharaji SIR, who continues in his current post. Dr. Ratankanvar Gadhavicharan, formerly Collector of Sabarkantha-Himmatnagar, will now lead as the Commissioner of Health (Rural) and Mission Director of the National Health Mission.

Praveena DK, Nagarajan M (Mehsana Collector), BA Shah (Vadodara Collector), Mahesh Patel (Dangs-Ahwa Collector), BK Pandya (Jamnagar Collector), and Vijay Kharadi (Deputy Director General of SPIPA) are among those promoted under this pay scale.

Notable Transfers in Municipal and District Administration

Sujeet Kumar, previously the Bhavnagar Municipal Commissioner, has been transferred to serve as the Collector of Ahmedabad. Meanwhile, Bhavnagar Collector RK Mehta will temporarily manage the Bhavnagar Municipal Corporation until further notice. GT Pandya, the outgoing Devbhumi Dwarka Collector, has been appointed as Additional Secretary of the Education Department.

This comprehensive reshuffle reflects the Gujarat government’s strategic approach to enhancing administrative efficiency and leadership across key departments, setting a new course for state governance.