Major Bureaucratic Reshuffle in Rajasthan: 62 IAS Officers Transferred, 11 District Collectors Replaced

Jaipur, June 23 — In a significant administrative move, the Rajasthan government late Sunday night issued transfer orders for 62 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, marking one of the largest bureaucratic reshuffles in recent months. The highly anticipated list includes changes at top levels, with new responsibilities assigned to senior officials across key departments such as Home and Finance.

Key Changes at the Top

One of the most notable changes is at the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) level. Vaibhav Galriya has been appointed as the new ACS of the Finance Department, replacing Akhil Arora, who had held the post since the previous administration. In another major shift, Bhaskar Atmaram Sawant will now lead the Home Department, taking over from Anand Kumar.

There have also been significant changes within the Chief Minister’s Office. Alok Gupta, formerly the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, has been appointed as the head of Industries and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Department. Meanwhile, Ajitabh Sharma has been named Principal Secretary of the Energy Department.

New Divisional Commissioners Appointed

Three divisions in the state will now see new commissioners: Dr. Tina Soni in Bharatpur, Vishram Meena in Bikaner, and Shakti Singh Rathore in Ajmer.

11 District Collectors Replaced

The reshuffle also affects district-level administration, with 11 districts getting new collectors:

• Bharatpur: Qamar Ul Zaman Chaudhary

• Sawai Madhopur: Kanaram

• Tonk: Kalpana Agrawal

• Kota: Piyush Samaria

• Kotputli-Behror: Priyanka Goswami

• Hanumangarh: Dr. Khushal Yadav

• Rajsamand: Arun Kumar Hasija

• Beawar: Kamal Ram Meena

• Phalodi: Sweta Chauhan

• Didwana-Kuchaman: Mahendra Khadgawat

In Jhunjhunu, the Collector’s post remains vacant following the transfer of current Collector Ramavatar Meena to the role of Director, Departmental Inquiries. The SP position in Jhunjhunu is also currently unfilled.

Senior Officials Get New Roles

Several other senior IAS officers have also received key assignments:

• Subodh Agarwal: Chairman and MD, Rajasthan Financial Corporation

• Aparna Arora: ACS, Social Justice and Empowerment Department

• Kuldeep Ranka: Head, Higher and Technical Education

• Sandeep Verma: ACS, Skill, Entrepreneurship, and Employment

• Kunjilal Meena: Head, Tribal Area Development Department

• Rajesh Kumar Yadav: Principal Secretary, Tourism, Art, Literature, Culture, and Archaeology

• Ravi Jain: Secretary, Local Self Government Department

• Dr. Ravi Kumar Surpur: Chairman, Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board

• Dr. Arushi Ajay Malik: Chairman and MD, State Warehousing Corporation

• Neha Giri: State Mission Director, Livelihood Projects and Self-Help Groups

Controversial Officer Gets New Posting

Hanuman Mal Dhaka, who was removed from his post as Dudu Collector after being accused of demanding a ₹25 lakh bribe for land conversion, has now been posted as Director, Departmental Inquiries. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had registered a case and conducted a raid on his office earlier this year. He had been under Awaiting Posting Orders (APO) since April 27.

Changes in Urban Administration

Changes have also been made in the municipal bodies:

• Dr. Gaurav Swami: Commissioner, Jaipur Greater Municipal Corporation

• Abhishek Khanna: Commissioner, Jodhpur Municipal Corporation

• Kanishk Kataria: Commissioner, Bharatpur Development Authority

This reshuffle follows a similar large-scale transfer list released in January 2024 and is expected to streamline governance and enhance administrative efficiency across Rajasthan.