Reshuffle in Chandigarh as a DANICS & 2 Haryana officers join

Haryana civil services officer Gaurav Kumar has been appointed the municipal corporation joint commissioner, director rural development and panchayat, MC secretary, and additional chief executive officer of Chandigarh Smart City Limited

The UT administration has reshuffled key departments and redistributed portfolios among officers following the joining of three new officers — Haryana civil services (HCS) officer Gaurav Kumar, HCS Pradeep Ahlawat, and Jagtap Kalyani Rajendra, DANICS (Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu civil service)

The order, issued with the approval of the UT administrator, was signed by chief secretary Hiriadka Rajesh Prasad.

Kumar has been appointed the municipal corporation joint commissioner, director rural development and panchayat, MC secretary, and additional chief executive officer of Chandigarh Smart City Limited. He will take over the rural development and panchayat and MC secretary charges from Himanshu Gupta, PCS. His appointments as joint commissioner and additional CEO will take effect upon the repatriation of Dr Inder Jeet, HCS.

Ahlawat has been assigned the charges of director transport-cum-divisional manager, Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU), secretary, state transport authority (STA), and joint secretary, coordination/protocol. He will take over the respective responsibilities from Avikesh Gupta, PCS, Nitish Singla, PCS, and Rajiv Tewari. His appointment as secretary, STA, comes amid increased scrutiny of transport-related matters following the ban on four ride-hailing aggregator applications — InDrive, Ola, Uber and Rapido.

Rajendra has been appointed director agriculture, agriculture census commissioner, and director animal husbandry and fisheries. She will take over these charges from Naveen, DANICS, who is being relieved of the respective responsibilities.

Several other officers in various departments were also shifted. Among them, Pradhuman Singh, HCS, has been assigned the charges of controller-cum-joint secretary, printing and stationery; additional excise and taxation commissioner-cum-collector (excise); deputy excise and taxation commissioner-cum-collector (excise); and secretary, Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA). He will take over the additional excise and taxation commissioner-cum-collector (excise) charge from Palika Arora, PCS.

Radhika Singh, HCS, has been appointed assistant estate officer-III, taking over the charge from Pradhuman Singh. She will continue to hold her existing charges as registering and licensing authority (RLA); joint secretary, home, including jails; joint secretary, environment and forests; and joint secretary, technical education.

Avikesh Gupta, PCS, will hold the charges of MC joint commissioner, and director information technology.

Himanshu Gupta, PCS, has been assigned the charges of joint secretary, urban planning and metro; joint secretary, estate; joint secretary, housing; and sub-divisional magistrate (South).

Isha Kamboj, HCS, has been appointed director social welfare; managing director, Chandigarh scheduled castes, backward classes and minorities financial and development corporation; managing director, child and women development corporation; secretary (ex-officio), Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights; joint secretary for local government, health and museum and art gallery.

Naveen, DANICS, has been assigned the additional charges of director, museum and art gallery, and director, tourism. He will continue to hold the charges of director, cultural affairs, and chief general manager, CITCO.

Khushpreet Kaur, DANICS, has been appointed general manager, district industries centre; director industries; joint secretary for industries, transport and excise and taxation; assistant estate officer-II; land acquisition officer; and administrator, market committee.

Atul Nivruttirao Dhakne, DANICS, has been appointed sub-divisional magistrate (central), director AYUSH, and joint director (administration), Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).