Gujarat govt reshuffles IAS officers, appoints Rajkumar Beniwal as Surat civic chief

Gandhinagar: Rajkumar Beniwal has been appointed as the new Municipal Commissioner of the Surat Municipal Corporation as part of a seven-officer administrative reshuffle announced by the Gujarat government on Saturday.

According to a notification issued by the General Administration Department, Beniwal, a 2004-batch IAS officer, has been transferred from his post as Managing Director of Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd (GNFC) at Bharuch.

His services have been placed at the disposal of the Urban Development and Urban Housing Department for his appointment as Surat Municipal Commissioner, relieving Tejas Parmar of the additional charge of the post.

Beniwal’s appointment comes less than a month after a change at the top of the Surat Municipal Corporation.

M Nagarajan was transferred from the post of Municipal Commissioner on August 12, following scrutiny by the Gujarat High Court over the demolition of houses in Surat’s Nasirnagar area and questions regarding the continuation of senior civic and police officials while an inquiry into the episode was pending.

Surat Collector Tejas Parmar was subsequently given additional charge of Municipal Commissioner. The latest reshuffle replaces the temporary arrangement with Beniwal’s appointment as Municipal Commissioner.

The notification also records a change at Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd (GNFC). Sanjeev Kumar, a 1998-batch IAS officer and Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, will hold the additional charge of Managing Director of GNFC, Bharuch, until further orders, in place of Beniwal.

There have been changes in the revenue administration as well. Rajesh Manjhu, a 2004-batch IAS officer serving as Revenue Inspection Commissioner and Ex-officio Secretary to the Revenue Department, has been transferred and appointed as Superintendent of Stamps and Inspector General of Registration, Gandhinagar.

Manjhu was also holding the additional charge of the latter post. Jenu Devan, a 2006-batch IAS officer and Secretary to the Government in the Finance Department (Expenditure), will additionally hold the post of Revenue Inspection Commissioner and Ex-officio Secretary to the Revenue Department until further orders.

In another urban-development-related change, Remya Mohan Muthadath, a 2007-batch IAS officer serving as Commissioner of Municipalities Administration and Ex-officio Managing Director of Gujarat Urban Development Company Ltd and Additional Chief Executive Officer of the Gujarat Urban Development Mission, will take additional charge as Secretary to the Government (Housing and Nirmal Gujarat), Urban Development and Urban Housing Department.

Rachit Raj, a 2014-batch IAS officer and Director of Scheduled Castes Welfare, has been transferred and appointed Director of Tribal Development.

He will continue to hold the additional charge of Director of Scheduled Castes Welfare until further orders.

Harshil Meena, a 2021-batch IAS officer, has been appointed District Development Officer of Mehsana, relieving P B Rathod of the additional charge.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

IANS

[email protected]