Delhi bureaucracy rejig: Ministers’ aides, senior health officials among over 50 transferred
This comes following alleged irregularities in the procurement of medical equipment, as well as a spate of fire incidents across the city.
Sources said the transfer in the health department comes following alleged irregularities in the procurement of medical equipment. (ANI Photo) In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, the Delhi government has transferred over 50 IAS (Indian Administrative Service) and DANICS (Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service), including secretaries of four ministers and secretary-level officials in the Health department, with some given additional charges.
Sources said the transfers in the Health department follow alleged irregularities in the procurement of medical equipment. Last week, the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Delhi government arrested a doctor in connection with a Rs 350-crore fraud case involving the procurement of medicines and medical equipment for government hospitals in the national capital.
Secretaries of ministers Pankaj Kumar Singh, Kapil Mishra, Ravinder Indraj and Manjinder Singh Sirsa have also been transferred to other departments.
“Another order is likely to be issued. One of the reasons for this major bureaucratic reshuffle is the ongoing row over alleged irregularities in the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) and medicine procurement. Recently, the CPA head was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB). The CM also ordered a probe against two senior health officers earlier this week,” said officials.
Key transfers
*Senior IAS officer Bipul Pathak, a 1992-batch officer currently serving as Additional Chief Secretary, Social Welfare, with additional charge of ACS (SC/ST/OBC), has also been given the additional charge of Women and Child Development Department (ACS).
*Navin Chaudhary IAS (AGMUT 1994), ACS Irrigation Department, will take additional charge of the General Administration Department (GAD) after the relieving of Pandurang Pole (AGMUT 1994).
*Pandurang Pole, Secretary, GAD, has been relieved of this post. He will now be Secretary (Land and Building) with additional charge of Secretary, Labour and Cooperation.
*Sandeep Kumar Singh (AGMUT 2011), who is Special Secretary at the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), will also handle the charge of managing director of Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation.
*IAS officer Sanjeev Kumar, posted as Special Secretary, Health, has been transferred to the Trade and Taxes department as Special Commissioner.
*2013-batch DANICS officer Vaibhav Rikhari, posted as Secretary to the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, is now posted as Director, Delhi Jal Board (DJB). Mukesh Rajora (DANICS 2013) ADM (HQ) will be the new secretary of Singh, who also holds the Transport and IT department charge.
*Rajesh Chaudhary (DANICS 2013), serving as joint secretary (urban development, will be secretary to Industries and Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, according to the orders.
*Ankur Mehsram (DANICS 2014), serving as ADM (Outer North), will now be the secretary to Social Welfare Minister Ravinder Singh Indraj.
*Vinay Kumar Jindal, 2014-batch DANICS officer, posted as Secretary to the Minister of Law and Justice and Tourism, has been transferred to DJB. Ranjeet Kumar Singh (DANICS 2014), joint director (education), will replace him as the new secretary to Mishra.
*Yash Chaudhary, Special Secretary (Health), has been given additional charge of the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) with delegated financial powers of head of department (HoD), divesting the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) of its HoD-level financial powers.
*Sandeep Kumar Singh, currently Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office with additional charge as Special Secretary (Finance), will now also hold charge as Managing Director of Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation. The SRDC was recently revived by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
*Nitin Panigrahi, DANICS officer, posted as Deputy Secretary in the Home department has been posted back to SRDC.
*Santosh Kumar Rai will be the special CEO of Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) with additional charge of Special Secretary (Home).
A source said, “The CM recently reconstituted the SRDC … to restart and expedite the development of the Old Delhi area and roads.”
Fire dept also sees transfer
A key transfer has also taken place in the fire department following a spate of fire incidents across the city.
Principal Director, Delhi Fire Services, Neduchezhiyan, has been divested from the charge. The post now has been given to Sachin Rana as additional charge, along with Special Secretary, Urban Development department, and Special Secretary, Home.
The fire department was recently pulled up by Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu during a review meeting held after the Hauz Rani Bed & Breakfast fire that claimed 23 lives, for failing to issue notices to commercial establishments and buildings that did not comply with mandatory fire safety certificates and equipment norms.
Several other officers, including at the District Magistrate level and Sub-Divisional Magistrate level, have also been transferred to other departments; some have been given additional charge.
Other transfers
Southwest District Magistrate Mekala Chaitanya Prasad (AGMUT 2015) will be Special Secretary (Health), while KK Lakshman (AGMUT 2017) has been removed from the post of Old Delhi District Magistrate to the same post in Southwest Delhi.
East Delhi District Magistrate Anmol Srivastava (AGMUT 2018) will now be Special Commissioner (Transport), according to the order.
Of the officers whose postings were affected, 17 belonged to the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre of the IAS, and 43 were from the DANICS cadre.
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