By B S Reporter
The state government, in a midnight rejig, transferred 39 IAS officers a day before the monsoon session starts. TheBuckstopper.com had already said this on July 12.
The highlight of this reshuffle is strengthening of IT and DIPR departments crucial for government in the run up to the elections. Five officers – Anandhi, Rajan Vishal, Archana Singh, Inderjeet Singh and Neha Giri – have been appropriately accommodated in this list. While Rajan Vishal, a trusted officer of Gehlot is back to chief minister officer (CMO) where he had served from December 2018- January 2022, his wife Archana Singh has been given charge of Special Secretary Home department. Vishal has also been made the chief executive of all important Rajasthan State Service Delivery War Room, which is specially created for monitoring and ensuring implementation of government schemes and budget announcements.
Anandhi and Inderjeet Singh have been inducted as secretary and commissioner respectively to strengthen the IT department. In the run up to the elections, IT department will play a crucial role in implementing the chief minister's ‘pre poll' announcements and agenda of rahat camps. The ambitious scheme of distribution of smart phones to 40 lakh women will be a challenge for both these young officers keeping in mind the little gap between announcement and implementation. Another officer awaiting posting order Neha Giri has been appointed as special secretary, industries and commerce department. Ashish Gupta, who was serving as Commissioner IT, has been transferred to Jaisalmer as Collector.
Gaurav Goyal, 2006 batch IAS, has been posted as secretary DIPR while continuing to serve as secretary to CM. This will bolster government's public relation department – again crucial for the elections. Goyal, who is handling important portfolios in CMO like UDH, mines and medical, will have a tough challenge to project and portray CM and state government in right earnest. Ashok Gehlot has been saying that in the past also he (Gehlot) had launched unique schemes but in the absence of wider publicity, doesn't reach to public. This time probably Gehlot wants to ensure reachability of his schemes and has put his trusted man on job.
Appointments of Gaurav Goyal, Anandhi as secretaries of DIPR and IT respectively will bring much relief to Akhil Arora, Additional Cheif Secretary Finance. Arora has been handling additional charge of IT&C and DIPR for long time.
Among senior officers, only Naveen Mahajan has been transferred. He has been moved from Pollution Control Board to Officers Training Institute and has yet again been kept away from action. Niraj K Pawan a 2003 batch officer, who was away from the mainstream for some time, has returned to secretariat from Bikaner. He interchanged his position with his batch mate Bhanu Prakash Yeturu who was handling ‘not-so-significant' department – Ayurveda and Indian Medicine.
The tenure of Mahesh Chandra Sharma was short lived. He was posted as secretary local self-governance barely two months ago. He has been replaced by Kailash Chandra Meena, who was Divisional Commissioner Jodhpur. Sharma will now take care of Devasthan department.
This transfer list grants appointment 15 out of 16 RAS officers who have been promoted to IAS recently. Sanchita Vishnoi who is currently posted as joint secretary in UDH, has not been included in the list. Bachanesh Agrawal who was serving as Special Secretary to health minister Parsadi Lal Meena has been appointed as Additional Commissioner of Commercial Tax department.
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