In a strategic move ahead of the lok Sabha polls due in the first half of next year, Vijay Rupani Government came out with major bureaucratic reshuffle in the State on Monday late night.
The State Government begins its reshuffle process with relatively junior level bureaucrats, but as the lok Sabha polls will come closer there would be more such mass transfers on cards in coming months.
Sources in General Administrative Department (GAD) said that similar reshuffle in IPS cadre officials, especially Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent level police officials would be done shortly.
Requesting anonymity a senior bureaucrat said that the State major reshuffling of senior IAS and IPS officers too are on cards. According to him the reshuffling process would continue till the announcement of the 2019 lok Sabha election dates.
“large number of Gujarat Administrative Service (GAS) and Gujarat Police Service (GPS) cadre officials is also awaiting their transfer in coming days. After the formation of new Government in December last year, this is the first major bureaucratic reshuffle,” said a senior official with GAD.
On late Monday night transferred 67 IAS officials, mostly collectors and District Development Officers (DDO) were transferred.
Collectors of all the four major cities–Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot were transferred. Overall 21 out of 33 district collectors were transferred. Ahmedabad collector Avantika Singh transferred to Gandhinagar as Director of Employment and Training and ex-official Managing Director of Gujarat Skill Development Mission. Dr Vikrant Pandey, MS Patel, and Ponugumatla Bharathi – Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara collectors respectively have been transferred.