28 IAS Officers Reassigned Across Gujarat Corporations, Municipalities and Districts

The Gujarat government has issued fresh postings for 28 IAS officers, one of the state's larger administrative reshuffles this year, spanning municipal corporations, district administrations, state-run corporations and government departments.

The changes touch several of Gujarat's power distribution utilities and urban local bodies simultaneously. Gaurangbhai H Makwana has been transferred to the Energy and Petrochemicals Department for appointment as Managing Director of Uttar Gujarat Vij Company Ltd (UGVCL), Mehsana, while K J Rathod takes over as Managing Director of Dakshin Gujarat Vij Company Ltd (DGVCL), Surat, and M D Chudasma becomes Managing Director of Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Ltd (PGVCL), Rajkot — placing three of the state's four distribution utilities under new leadership in the same order.

Municipal corporations have also seen change at the top. Suthar Raj Rameshchandra moves to the Porbandar Municipal Corporation as Municipal Commissioner, I R Vala takes charge of the Junagadh Municipal Corporation in the same role, and Smit Santosh Lodha becomes Deputy Municipal Commissioner of the Surat Municipal Corporation. R N Kuchara and C A Gandhi have been named Regional Commissioners of Municipalities for Rajkot and Vadodara respectively.

District administration postings feature prominently in the list: H J Prajapati, K P Joshi, D K Brahmbhatt, Hiren Jitendrabhai Barot and K S Jhala have been named District Development Officers of Amreli, Devbhumi-Dwarka, Gandhinagar, Dahod and Dangs-Ahwa respectively.

A cluster of officers have been posted to state corporations and missions: Prabhav Joshi as Joint Managing Director of the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC), Gandhinagar; Mahesh Shantilal Jani as Mission Director of the Gujarat Urban Livelihood Mission; M P Pandya as Managing Director of the Gujarat Medical Services Corporation; C B Ganatra as Managing Director of the Gujarat State Civil Supplies Corporation; A K Joshi as Managing Director of the Gujarat Unreserved Educational & Economical Development Corporation; D K Patel as Director of the Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA); B H Patel as Managing Director of the Gujarat Scheduled Castes Development Corporation; and Dr B S Prajapati as Managing Director of the Gujarat State Rural Development Corporation, all based in Gandhinagar.

The services of B N Patel, Executive Director of Gujarat Gas Limited, and V K Jadav, Director of Developing Castes Welfare, have both been continued at the disposal of their respective departments — Energy and Petrochemicals, and Social Justice and Empowerment — for reappointment to the same posts, which are being separately equated with IAS cadre positions. B K Joshi has been transferred as Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Gandhinagar, and M K Joshi moves to head the Development Support Agency of Gujarat as Chief Executive Officer. Rounding out the list, V G Patel becomes Additional Rural Development Commissioner, A K Vastani takes charge as Director of Employment and Training, and P B Rathod has been named Director of Skill Development, all in Gandhinagar.

The reshuffle order covers energy, urban development, rural development, social welfare and skill development departments, and takes effect with immediate posting of all 28 officers named.