Gujarat transfers 72 IAS officers in sweeping bureaucratic reshuffle
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
The Gujarat government on Wednesday, 13 May carried out one of its most extensive administrative reshuffles in recent memory, transferring and reassigning 72 IAS officers across district collectorates, municipal corporations, and key state departments. The large-scale exercise, notified from Gandhinagar, spans governance functions ranging from revenue administration and urban management to energy and welfare delivery.
Key Transfers at the Top
Ahmedabad Collector Sujeet Kumar has been appointed Special Commissioner of State Tax, while Bhavya Verma, previously Collector of Valsad, steps in as the new Collector of Ahmedabad. In Surat, Collector Dr Sourabh Pardhi has been moved to Gandhinagar as Director of Civil Supplies, with Tejas Parmar — earlier Municipal Commissioner of Junagadh — appointed as his replacement.
D.N. Modi, who was serving with the Jamnagar Municipal Corporation, has been posted as Development Commissioner in Gandhinagar. Anand Patel, formerly Collector of Kutch-Bhuj, has been named Commissioner of Schools in Gandhinagar, with additional responsibilities for PM-POSHAN and the Gujarat Council of Educational Research and Training (GCERT).
Energy and Climate Sector Changes
Ajay Prakash has been moved from the Gujarat Energy Development Agency to Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Limited as its new Managing Director. Gaurang Makwana, transferred from the Bharuch Collectorate, has been posted to the Climate Change Department with additional charge of Gujarat Power Corporation Limited and Uttar Gujarat Vij Company Limited.
District and Municipal Reshuffling
The reshuffle covers collectorates across Ahmedabad, Surat, Bharuch, Navsari, Morbi, Dahod, Junagadh, Valsad, Kutch-Bhuj, Arvalli, Botad, Tapi, Narmada, and Kheda. Several municipal commissioners have been shifted into district administration roles and vice versa, with postings also involving Vapi, Mehsana, Surendranagar, and Gandhidham.
Officers have additionally been assigned charges in institutions including Gujarat Informatics Limited, Gujarat Livelihood Promotion Company Limited, Gujarat Urban Development authorities, and the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).
Scope and Significance
The notification also encompasses extensive reshuffling of district development officers and assistant collectors, many of whom have been posted as project administrators in Tribal Area Sub Plan regions or reassigned to urban local bodies such as the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Vadodara Municipal Corporation. Officials described the 72-post reshuffle as one of the most comprehensive administrative reallocations the state has seen in recent times, touching revenue, infrastructure, urban management, and welfare delivery simultaneously. Such large-scale IAS reshuffles in Gujarat typically precede or follow significant policy or electoral cycles, signalling a recalibration of administrative priorities at the state level.