Chhattisgarh has witnessed one of its biggest bureaucratic reshuffles under the government led by Vishnu Deo Sai, with the transfer and reassignment of 42 IAS officers along with one Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer. The large-scale administrative overhaul was officially announced by the General Administration Department from Mahanadi Bhawan in Raipur.
The reshuffle comes during the ongoing “Good Governance Festival” initiative and is being viewed as a strategic move aimed at strengthening governance, improving departmental coordination, and accelerating administrative efficiency across the state.
Among the notable appointments, IFS officer Mayank Agrawal has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CHiPS (Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society). He was previously serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the same organization.
Key Highlights of the Administrative Reshuffle
Senior IAS officer Shyam Lal Dhawde has been appointed as the new Divisional Commissioner of Raipur Division. Several districts have also received new collectors as part of the restructuring exercise.
New District Collectors Appointed
- Chandan Sanjay Tripathi appointed as Collector of Balrampur-Ramanujganj district.
- Santan Devi Jangde appointed Collector of Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur district.
- Pushpa Sahu appointed Collector of Korea district.
- Santosh Kumar Devangan appointed Collector of Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district.
- Padmini Bhoi Sahu appointed Collector of Sarangarh-Bilaigarh district.
- Raina Jameel appointed Collector of Surajpur district.
- Vishwadeep appointed Collector of Bijapur district.
In Raipur, Sambit Mishra has been appointed as the new Commissioner of the Raipur Municipal Corporation, signaling significant changes in urban administration as well.
Major Departmental Changes
The reshuffle also includes several high-profile departmental reallocations:
- Richa Sharma moved from Forest and Climate Change Department to Panchayat and Rural Development as Additional Chief Secretary.
- Manoj Kumar Pingua transferred from Home and Jail Department to Forest and Climate Change Department as Additional Chief Secretary.
- Subodh Kumar Singh given additional charge of the Energy Department along with responsibilities linked to the State Power Companies.
- Niharika Barik appointed Principal Secretary of the Home and Jail Department.
- Shehla Nigar shifted from Agriculture Production Commissioner to Principal Secretary, Women and Child Development Department.
- Rohit Yadav moved to the Finance Department as Secretary.
- Kamalpreet Singh appointed Secretary, School Education Department.
- Paradeshi Siddharth Komal assigned as Secretary, Agriculture Department and Agriculture Production Commissioner.
- Reena Baba Saheb Kangale transferred to Commercial Tax (Excise) Department as Secretary.
- Avinash Champawat given additional responsibility of Higher Education Department.
- Mukesh Kumar Bansal appointed Secretary of Public Works Department along with Commercial Tax responsibilities excluding excise and registration.
- R. Sangeeta shifted to Urban Administration and Development Department.
- Bhuvnesh Yadav appointed Secretary, Planning, Economics and Statistics Department.
- S. Bharathidasan transferred to Tourism, Culture and Religious Trust Department.
- Shammi Abidi appointed Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department.
- Basavaraju S. given charge of Skill Development, Technical Education and Employment Department.
- Mohammed Kaiser Abdulhaq assigned additional responsibility as Mission Director of Jal Jeevan Mission.
Important Institutional Appointments
Several administrative and public sector institutions also saw leadership changes:
- Rajesh Singh Rana appointed Secretary, Village Industries Department.
- Mahadev Kavre made Commissioner, Cooperative Department and Registrar of Cooperative Societies.
- Saransh Mittar appointed CEO of CREDA.
- Padum Singh Elma appointed Excise Commissioner.
- Sanjeev Kumar Jha given additional charge as Managing Director of National Health Mission.
- Ranbir Sharma appointed Director of Social Welfare.
- Rita Yadav appointed Secretary of the Board of Secondary Education.
- Rishabh Kumar Parashar assigned responsibilities as Director, Budget and Local Fund Audit.
Political and Administrative Significance
The large-scale reshuffle is being interpreted as a decisive governance move by the Sai administration to streamline administration, improve accountability, and place experienced officers in strategically important departments. Political observers believe the transfers may significantly impact governance delivery, infrastructure planning, education, health administration, rural development, and urban management across the state in the coming months.
The restructuring is also expected to influence the implementation of several flagship state government schemes, especially in rural development, power, education, and tribal welfare sectors.
