In a significant administrative reshuffle, the Chhattisgarh government, led by Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai, has transferred 41 IAS officers, including 11 district collectors. The move comes just one day after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case against three senior state officials, accusing them of misusing their positions and attempting to influence investigations by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Among the notable changes, Avnish Kumar Sharan, the Collector of Bilaspur district, has been transferred to the position of Commissioner, Urban and Rural Investment. In his place, Rajnandgaon district Collector Sanjay Agarwal has been appointed as the new Bilaspur Collector.
Key transfers across districts
As part of the reshuffle, Karthikeya Goyal, the Collector of Raigarh district, has been appointed as the Director of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Protection, with an additional charge as Managing Director of the Warehousing Corporation. Taking his place, Mayank Chaturvedi, the Collector of Dantewada, has been transferred to Raigarh as the new district head.
In another major change, Dharmesh Kumar Sahu, the Collector of Sarangarh-Bilaspur, has been moved to the position of Special Secretary for the Panchayat and Rural Development Department. Sanjay Kannauje, the CEO of the District Panchayat in Balod, has been appointed as the new Collector of Sarangard-Bilaspur.
Election Commission secretary and other high-level appointments
The Chhattisgarh State Election Commission Secretary, Bhure Sarveshwar Narendra, has been appointed as the new Collector of Rajnandgaon. Additionally, the Managing Director of the Civil Supplies Corporation, Janmejay Mahobe, has been assigned as the Collector of Janjgir-Champa district. Divya Umesh Mishra, the Director of Public Education, has been made the new Collector of Balod district.
Other administrative shifts
In further administrative changes, Indrajit Singh Chandrawal, the Collector of Balod district, has been transferred as the Collector of Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai. Kundan Kumar, the Commissioner of the Housing Board, has been shifted to the position of Collector of Mungeli district. Nupur Rashi Panna, the CEO of Chhattisgarh State Watershed Management Agency, has been appointed as the new Collector of Kondagaon.
Rahul Dev, the Collector of Mungeli, has been transferred as the Director of Agriculture. Meanwhile, Deepak Kumar Agarwal, the Collector of Gariaband, will now serve as the Controller of Food and Drug Administration. Bhagwan Singh Uike, the Additional Collector of Antagarh, has been appointed as the new Collector of Gariaband.
Janjgir-Champa and Kondagaon Collector transfers
The Collector of Janjgir-Champa, Akash Chhikara, has been transferred to the position of Under Secretary for Housing and Environment. Kunal Dudawat, the Collector of Kondagaon, has been appointed as the new Collector of Dantewada.
This large-scale reshuffle is expected to streamline administrative functioning and respond effectively to the evolving political and administrative challenges in the state. The reshuffle has sparked considerable interest in political and administrative circles, especially coming after the CBI's recent actions against senior officials.