Raipur: In a significant development, Chhattisgarh has witnessed a major reshuffle in its administrative setup. The recent decision involves the transfer of 88 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, including 19 district collectors, and one officer from the Indian Police Service (IPS). The announcement came through a General Administration Department order late Wednesday night.

Among the notable changes, P Dayanand, a 2006-batch IAS officer, has been relieved of his additional charge as the secretary of Medical Education. He now takes on additional responsibilities as the secretary of Energy, Mineral Resources, and Public Relations departments. Additionally, he has been appointed as the chairman of the Chhattisgarh State Power Company.

Mayank Shrivastav, a 2006-batch IPS officer, has been appointed as the commissioner-cum-director of the Public Relations department, playing a crucial role in the government's communication strategy.

Subrat Sahoo, a 1992-batch IAS officer, assumes the role of additional chief secretary (ACS) for Dharmik Nyas (religious trust) and Dharmsva department. Earlier, he served as ACS of the Panchayat and Rural Development department.

Niharika Barik, a 1997-batch IAS officer, takes over as the principal secretary of the Panchayat and Rural Development department, with additional responsibilities as the development commissioner and principal secretary of Electronics and IT.

Gaurav Kumar Singh, a 2013-batch IAS officer, assumes the role of Raipur collector, transitioning from his previous position as joint secretary of the Panchayat and Rural Development department.

The reshuffle extends to various departments, including the appointment of Pushpendra Meena, former Durg collector, as the secretary of the Public Service Commission. Strategic realignment also involves Taran Prakash Sinha and Sanjeev Jha, who were previously joint secretaries in the Mantralaya. They are now reassigned as joint secretary of Sports and Youth Welfare department and director of Samgra Shiksha, respectively. Both had been removed from their positions in October last year on the Election Commission’s directive ahead of the state assembly polls.

Rajendra Kumar Katara, the former Bijapur collector, assumes a new role as the director of the State Council and Educational Research and Training (SCERT) with additional responsibilities as the mission director of the State Literacy Mission.

/BI