IN A significant bureaucratic shake-up, the Chhattisgarh Government on Tuesday transferred 22 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers and one Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, changing Collectors in five districts while recasting responsibilities across key departments, directorates and urban bodies. At the centre of the reshuffle is Mungeli, where 2014-batch IAS officer Kundan Kumar has been transferred as Collector, Kanker. He will be succeeded by fellow 2014-batch officer Amrit Vikas Topno, presently heading the administration in Sakti. The movement triggers another change in district administration, with Jayashree Jain, a 2016-batch IAS officer serving as Joint Secretary in the Forest and Climate Change Department, being appointed Collector, Sakti. Tulika Prajapati, presently Collector of Mohla-ManpurAmbagarh Chowki, has been entrusted with Kabirdham as its new Collector. Tanuja Salam, presently Director, Sports and Youth Welfare, has been posted as Collector, Mohla-ManpurAmbagarh Chowki, filling the vacancy arising from Prajapati’s transfer. Gariaband will also get new administrative leadership, with Ranbir Sharma, presently Director, Social Welfare, being appointed Collector of the district. The reshuffle extends beyond district administration. Senior IAS officer Sonmoni Borah, a 1999-batch officer, has been appointed Principal Secretary, Urban Administration and Development Department, while retaining his other assigned responsibilities, including additional charge of Science and Technology.

 

R Shangeetha, who was handling Urban Administration, has been shifted to the Secretariat as Secretary. In another significant movement, Remigius Ekka has been transferred from Director, Urban Administration and Development, to Special Secretary, Public Health Engineering Department, with additional charge of Jal Jeevan Mission. Outgoing Kanker Collector Nileshkumar Mahadev Kshirsagar has been appointed Director, Urban Administration and Development.Among other postings, Leena Kosam has been appointed Commissioner, Durg Municipal Corporation. Saumil Ranjan Choubey, a 2021-batch IAS officer, has been posted as Managing Director, Chhattisgarh Tourism Board. Vivek Acharya, a 2006-batch IFS officer presently serving as Managing Director of the Tourism Board, has been repatriated with immediate effect to his parent Forest Department. Birendra Bahadur Panchbhai, a 2021-batch IAS officer, has been transferred from Additional Collector, Narayanpur, and posted as Additional Collector, Bilaspur. The reshuffle thus brings fresh leadership to Mungeli, Kanker, Sakti, Kabirdham and Gariaband, besides effecting consequential changes across urban administration, tourism, public health engineering and other key wings of the State administration.