‘Sudden’ transfer list brings about much needed changes!

Jaipur: On Thursday a transfer list of ten IAS was suddenly released by the DoP, but the changes made through the list were needed and were probable too. On the other hand, few changes shocked the bureaucracy too.

Kumar Pal Gautam has been brought back to Jaipur after an year. He had courted controversy as Excise Commissioner in Udaipur and even the media gave wide coverage. Now he has been given the post recently vacated by the voluntary retirement of Commissioner Pawan Arora. Arora had not only given life to this almost dead institution, but also took it to the epitome and thus it will be a huge challenge for Kumar Pal to keep the RHB at the same echelon.

Tara Chand Meena has come back into the mainstream after being reinstated, prior to his retirement in July 2024. Otherwise, he was removed from the powerful position of Udaipur Collector and posted as Commissioner TAD, which is considered a ‘cold bag’ posting.

A shocking transfer has been of Mahendra Soni, who has now been posted in HCM-RIPA. In the past Soni has served at important positions like Commissioner Transport, Commissioner DIPR and Commissioner Nagar Nigam (Heritage) and now interested parties are trying to find out the reason behind the transfer.

Om Prakash Kasera too has been transferred and this is his seventh transfer in the current govt. Sixteen months back he was brought to Jaipur from the post of MD, RSMML (Udaipur). After serving in BIP for nearly an year, he has now been sent to Udaipur as Excise Commissioner and he will be the eighth Excise Commissioner in the current government. He will have a huge challenge to better the existing situation in the department.

Joint Secretary in the Energy Department has been changed for the sixth time in the government as JS have been changed in every two or three months! Due to this Principal Secretary Bhaskar A Sawant is also troubled. Now Dr. Manju has been posted here and it remains to be seen how long does she stay on the post.

The post of Commissioner, Industries is considered to be an important HOD post where a full-time HOD is needed. But this time also, Sudheer Kumar Sharma has been given additional charge and administrative experts are confused why such a move has been made.

Babu Lal Goyal was removed from JDA and posted on the ‘lack-lustre’ post of HCM-RIPA. But he hasn’t had to spend much time there as he has been appointed as Commissioner, Nagar Nigam Jaipur (Heritage).