Raipur:
In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, the Chhattisgarh government on Wednesday reassigned several senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, bringing significant changes across key departments and district administrations. The orders issued by the General Administration Department include postings at the level of Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, and Collectors.
Top-Level Changes
Richa Sharma (1994 batch), serving as Additional Chief Secretary (Forest and Climate Change), has been shifted to the Panchayat and Rural Development Department. She will also hold additional charge as Development Commissioner and Director General of the Thakur Pyarelal State Institute of Panchayat and Rural Development.
Manoj Kumar Pingua (1994 batch), earlier ACS Home and Jail, will now head the Forest and Climate Change Department.
Principal Secretaries Reassigned
Subodh Kumar Singh (1997 batch), currently Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, has been given additional charge of the Energy Department and appointed Chairman of Chhattisgarh State Power Companies.
Niharika Barik (1997 batch) takes over as Principal Secretary Home and Jail, while Shehla Nigar (2001 batch) has been assigned Women and Child Development Department along with additional charge of Social Welfare.
Secretary-Level Postings
Dr Rohit Yadav (2002 batch) has been appointed Finance Secretary and will continue handling the Public Relations Department along with the role of Chairman, Pension Settlement Committee.
Dr Kamalpreet Singh (2002 batch) moves from Public Works Department to School Education Department as Secretary.
Pardeshi Siddharth Komal (2003 batch) becomes Secretary, Agriculture Development and Farmer Welfare, while Reena Baba Saheb Kangale (2003 batch) gets additional charge of Commercial Tax (Excise).
Mukesh Kumar Bansal (2005 batch) has been posted as Secretary, Public Works and Aviation, along with responsibility as Secretary to Chief Minister.
District-Level Reshuffle
At the district level, several new Collectors have been appointed:
- Pushpa Sahu (2012 batch) โ Collector, Korea
- Dr Santosh Kumar Dewangan (2013 batch) โ Collector, Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi
- Santan Devi Jangde (2016 batch) โ Collector, Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur
- Chandan Sanjay Tripathi (2016 batch) โ Collector, Balrampur-Ramanujganj
- Padmini Bhoi Sahu (2016 batch) โ Collector, Sarangarh-Bilaigarh
Among younger officers:
- Sambit Mishra (2018 batch) โ Commissioner, Raipur Municipal Corporation
- Rena Jamil (2019 batch) โ Collector, Surajpur
- Vishwadeep (2019 batch) โ Collector, Bijapur
Other Key Appointments
Aman Kumar Singh (2006 batch) continues as Secretary, Housing and Environment.
S. Bharathidasan (2006 batch) has been shifted to Tourism and Culture Department.
Dr Sanjay Kannoje (2016 batch) becomes Director, Culture, while Mayank Agrawal (2016 batch) has been appointed CEO of Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society (CHiPS).
Focus on Governance Efficiency
This administrative reshuffle is aimed at improving governance efficiency, strengthening inter-departmental coordination, and accelerating decision-making in priority sectors like rural development, energy, and infrastructure.
Officials stated that the transfers were based on a detailed performance review and administrative needs, with focus on placing experienced officers in crucial roles.
The changes are expected to have an immediate impact on policy execution, especially in welfare delivery and infrastructure development, as newly appointed officers take charge of their responsibilities.
