Bhopal: Barely 24 hours after Ashok Barnwal, an IAS officer of 1991 batch, assumed charge as the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh, the state government carried out a major bureaucratic reshuffle, transferring 20 IAS officers and appointing new collectors in six districts. The late-night administrative overhaul also witnessed significant changes in key departments, the Chief Minister’s Secretariat and senior administrative positions.
The reshuffle, approved on Friday night, aims to strengthen governance across crucial departments while assigning trusted officers to strategic positions ahead of major development initiatives, including the proposed Global Investors Summit (GIS) 2027.
Six Districts Get New Collectors
As part of the reshuffle, six districts have been assigned new collectors.
The new appointments are:
- Ajay Katesaria – Collector, Ratlam
- Misha Singh – Collector, Shahdol
- Ratnakar Jha – Collector, Anuppur
- Guru Prasad – Collector, Khargone
- Divyank Singh – Collector, Mandsaur
- Dr Sher Singh Meena – Collector, Agar Malwa
Several outgoing collectors have been moved to important assignments in Bhopal and other departments.
Shahdol Collector Kedar Singh has been appointed Additional Secretary, Public Works Department, while Mandsaur Collector Aditi Garg has been posted as Officer on Special Duty-cum-Commissioner in the Food and Civil Supplies Department.
Agar Malwa Collector Preeti Yadav has been appointed Executive Director of the Industrial Development Corporation in Indore. Khargone Collector Bhavya Mittal has proceeded on a two-year study leave, paving the way for Guru Prasad’s appointment.
Major Changes in Senior Bureaucracy
The reshuffle also brought significant changes among senior IAS officers.
Dr Rajesh Rajaura has been appointed Director General of the State Administrative Academy, replacing Sachin Sinha, who has now been posted as Additional Chief Secretary, Public Health Engineering Department.
Dr Sudam P. Khade, who was serving as Commissioner of the Indore Division, has been shifted as Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, while Bhaskar Lakshakar takes over as the new Indore Divisional Commissioner.
Other important changes include:
- K.C. Gupta shifted as Additional Chief Secretary, Horticulture.
- Raghavendra Singh moved from Industries to Forest Department, along with additional charge of the Happiness Department.
- Sandeep Yadav appointed Principal Secretary, Water Resources.
- John Kingsley becomes Secretary, Industries.
Kumar Purushottam posted as Additional Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office while retaining charge of the Mandi Board.
CM’s Trusted Officers Given Key Responsibilities
The reshuffle places several officers considered close to the Chief Minister in strategically important assignments.
Neeraj Mandloi, Additional Chief Secretary, has been entrusted with organising the Global Investors Summit (GIS) 2027 in Bhopal. He has also been given charge of the Industries and MSME Department, previously headed by Raghavendra Singh.
Meanwhile, Dr Sudam Khade‘s appointment to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat is being viewed as another important administrative move.
Ajay Katesaria Gets First Collector Posting
One of the notable appointments in the reshuffle is that of Ajay Katesaria, who has been posted as Collector of Ratlam—his first district assignment.
Previously serving as Additional Secretary in the General Administration Department, Katesaria played a significant role in drafting the Promotion Rules-2025, which revived the state’s long-pending promotion process after nearly a decade.
He was also involved in preparing the draft framework for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), one of the government’s priority initiatives.
Water Resources and Energy Departments See Fresh Assignments
The government has also reshuffled leadership in key infrastructure departments.
Principal Secretary Sandeep Yadav has been entrusted with the Water Resources Department and will oversee major projects, including the Ken-Betwa River Link Project and the Parvati-Kalisindh River Link Project.
The Narmada Valley Development Department has been assigned to E. Ramesh Kumar, who will continue to hold charge of the Revenue Department.
In another significant change, the Energy Department has been withdrawn from Neeraj Mandloi and assigned as additional charge to Principal Secretary Manish Singh, who already heads the Technical Education, Skill Development and Employment Department.
Women Collectors Reduced to 15
Following the latest reshuffle, the number of women district collectors in Madhya Pradesh has declined from 17 to 15.
The reduction comes after the transfer of Aditi Garg and Preeti Yadav to state-level assignments, along with Bhavya Mittal proceeding on study leave. While Misha Singh has been appointed Collector of Shahdol, the total number of women collectors across Madhya Pradesh’s 55 districts now stands at 15.
Complete List of IAS Transfers in Madhya Pradesh
- K.C. Gupta – Additional Chief Secretary, Cottage & Rural Industries Department ➝ Additional Chief Secretary, Horticulture & Food Processing Department.
- Sachin Sinha – Director General, RCVP Noronha Academy of Administration ➝ Additional Chief Secretary, Public Health Engineering Department.
- Raghavendra Singh – Principal Secretary, Industries Department ➝ Principal Secretary, Forest Department, with additional charge of the Happiness Department.
- Sandeep Yadav – Principal Secretary, Forest Department ➝ Principal Secretary, Water Resources Department.
- John Kingsley – Secretary, Horticulture & Food Processing Department ➝ Secretary, Industries Department.
- Dr Sudam P. Khade – Commissioner, Indore Division ➝ Secretary to the Chief Minister.
- Bhaskar Lakshakar – Commissioner, Food Department ➝ Commissioner, Indore Division.
- Dr Rajesh Rajaura – Appointed Director General, RCVP Noronha Academy of Administration.
- Ajay Katesaria – Additional Secretary, General Administration Department ➝ Collector, Ratlam.
- Kumar Purushottam – Managing Director, Mandi Board ➝ Additional Secretary, Chief Minister’s Secretariat, while continuing to hold charge of the Mandi Board.
- Ratnakar Jha – Additional Commissioner, Ujjain Division ➝ Collector, Anuppur.
- Kedar Singh – Collector, Shahdol ➝ Additional Secretary, Public Works Department.
- Harshal Pancholi – Collector, Anuppur ➝ Executive Director, EPCO (Environmental Planning & Coordination Organisation).
- Aditi Garg – Collector, Mandsaur ➝ Officer on Special Duty (OSD)-cum-Commissioner, Food & Civil Supplies Department.
- Preeti Yadav – Collector, Agar Malwa ➝ Executive Director, Madhya Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation, Indore.
- Misha Singh – Collector, Ratlam ➝ Collector, Shahdol.
- Guru Prasad – Deputy Secretary, Chief Minister’s Secretariat ➝ Collector, Khargone.
- Divyank Singh – Additional Commissioner, Urban Administration Department ➝ Collector, Mandsaur.
- Dr Sher Singh Meena – Commissioner, Satna Municipal Corporation ➝ Collector, Agar Malwa.
- Siddharth Jain – Chief Executive Officer, Zila Panchayat, Indore ➝ Deputy Secretary, Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
- Himanshu Prajapati – Executive Director, Madhya Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation ➝ Chief Executive Officer, Zila Panchayat, Indore.
Administrative Overhaul After New Chief Secretary Takes Charge
The reshuffle assumes significance as it comes within a day of Ashok Barnwal taking charge as Madhya Pradesh’s Chief Secretary. The wide-ranging transfers cover district administration, infrastructure, industry, public health engineering, water resources, forest administration and the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, indicating the government’s focus on strengthening administrative efficiency and accelerating implementation of key development programmes across the state.
