Jaipur, Aug 11 (IANS) The Rajasthan government has ordered a major reshuffle of the Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS), transferring 183 officers ahead of the upcoming Panchayati Raj and urban local body elections.
The Department of Personnel issued the transfer and posting orders on Tuesday, with all changes coming into effect immediately.
The reshuffle comes in the wake of directions from the State Election Commission concerning the transfer of officers who have been posted at the same location for three years or are serving in their home districts.
The move is being seen as an important administrative exercise ahead of the elections, with the state government seeking to ensure a fair, transparent and impartial electoral process.
Among the prominent names in the transfer list is Yogesh Kumar Srivastava, a 2008-batch RAS officer who was serving as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s office.
Srivastava has now been appointed General Manager of Ganganagar Sugar Mills Limited at Jaipur.
The transfer list includes officers posted across several districts, departments, development authorities and local bodies.
Several officers have been given new responsibilities as Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs), Additional District Magistrates (ADMs) and other key administrative positions.
High-profile RAS officer Pinky Meena has also been transferred in the latest reshuffle. This is her second transfer in two months. Meena has been appointed Assistant Collector (Headquarters) in Dausa. She was previously serving as Assistant Director in the Department of Administrative Reforms and Coordination in Sawai Madhopur.
The state government has also reassigned officers who had been serving in their home districts, in line with the State Election Commission’s directions.
Among the other officers whose postings have been changed are Mahavir Kharadi, Ashok Kumar IV, Naresh Bunkar, Rajveer Singh Chaudhary, Ashok Kumar Sharma, Alok Jain, Akash Ranjan, Jagdish Prasad Gaur, Rajkumar Kaswa and Om Prakash Saharan.
The extensive reshuffle comes at a crucial time as Rajasthan prepares for elections to its urban local bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions.
With the Model Code of Conduct expected to come into force soon, the state government is moving to put the administrative machinery in place for election management.
The transfers are intended to prevent prolonged postings and potential administrative influence in the electoral process, while ensuring that key positions are staffed ahead of the polls.
Administrative circles are also expecting an IAS transfer list in the coming days.
The possible reshuffle is likely to be part of the state government’s broader exercise to streamline the administrative machinery before the Model Code of Conduct comes into effect.
With the local body elections approaching, Tuesday’s RAS reshuffle marks one of the biggest administrative changes in Rajasthan ahead of the upcoming polls.
–IANS
arc/khz