Ladakh: The Union Territory administration of Ladakh has assigned the Housing and Urban Development and Transport departments to Arava Gopi Krishna, a 2012-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre.
According to an order issued by the Ladakh General Administration Department, Krishna, who is serving as an Administrative Secretary, will hold charge of both departments with immediate effect and until further orders.
The latest allocation gives the senior IAS officer responsibility for two important sectors in the Union Territory, covering urban development and housing-related matters as well as transport administration.
Arava Gopi Krishna was among the AGMUT-cadre IAS officers transferred to different segments in a major reshuffle ordered by the Ministry of Home Affairs in July 2026. He was transferred from Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (DNH&DD) to Ladakh.
Three Other Officers Get Additional Responsibilities
The Ladakh administration has also entrusted additional responsibilities to three other senior officers as part of the latest allocation of work.
IAS officer Shurbir Singh, who holds the rank of Commissioner Secretary, has been assigned the additional charge of Administrative Secretary, Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction.
Another Commissioner Secretary-rank IAS officer, Laltinkhuma Franklin, has been given the additional charge of Administrative Secretary, Forest, Ecology and Environment.
Meanwhile, Tsewang Tharchin, a Commissioner Secretary-rank IA&AS officer, has been assigned the additional charge of Commissioner, GST.
The assignments have been made with immediate effect and will remain in force until further orders.
Arava Gopi Krishna: 2012-Batch AGMUT IAS Officer
Mr Krishna is a 2012-batch Indian Administrative Service officer belonging to the AGMUT cadre. He entered the IAS through direct recruitment after clearing the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
His official executive record identifies him as a direct-recruit IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, with Andhra Pradesh as his domicile state. His educational qualification is a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Madras. The official record lists his date of birth as July 1, 1983 and languages known as English and Telugu.
Krishna has served in a number of administrative positions in Delhi and the Union Territories during his career, including important responsibilities in the excise and health sectors.
Served as Delhi Excise Commissioner
One of the most prominent assignments in Krishna’s career was as Commissioner of Excise in Delhi.
He was serving in the Delhi Excise Department when the Delhi government’s 2021-22 excise policy was implemented. He was subsequently among the officials who faced action in connection with alleged irregularities and lapses associated with the policy.
The Ministry of Home Affairs placed Krishna under suspension on August 22, 2022, when he was serving as Delhi Excise Commissioner. Contemporary reports said the suspension was linked to alleged serious lapses and irregularities concerning the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.
Suspension Challenged Before Tribunal
Krishna challenged the continuation of his suspension before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).
In August 2024, the CAT allowed his application and quashed the original suspension order dated August 22, 2022, along with subsequent extensions. The tribunal also directed the authorities to reinstate him in service and grant consequential benefits as per the rules.
The Union government subsequently approached the Delhi High Court. However, in July 2024, the High Court recorded the government’s decision not to press its challenge to the CAT’s interim order and dismissed the writ petition as withdrawn, directing the tribunal to decide Krishna’s original application expeditiously.
The matter eventually led to the President of India revoking Krishna’s suspension in October 2025, paving the way for his return to active service. The presidential action followed the judicial proceedings concerning the prolonged suspension.
Posted in DNH&DD After Reinstatement
Following his return to active service, Krishna served in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, where he held the post of Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Medical and PME.
A November 2025 Supreme Court order also identified him as Secretary, Health, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, confirming his posting in the Union Territory at that time.
His tenure in DNH&DD preceded the 2026 AGMUT reshuffle through which he was transferred to Ladakh.
July 2026 AGMUT Reshuffle Brought Him to Ladakh
In July 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs ordered a major reshuffle involving IAS and IPS officers of the AGMUT cadre.
The reshuffle covered multiple AGMUT segments, including Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and DNH&DD.
As part of the exercise, Arava Gopi Krishna (2012 batch) was transferred from DNH&DD to Ladakh.
The transfer was part of a wider movement of IAS officers across AGMUT segments. The MHA’s reshuffle also moved several other officers between the Union Territories and northeastern states.
New Responsibilities in Ladakh
The latest order further expands Krishna’s responsibilities in Ladakh by assigning him the Housing and Urban Development and Transport departments.
The Housing and Urban Development portfolio is significant for the Union Territory, given the administrative and urban-development requirements of Leh and other growing settlements. The Transport portfolio, meanwhile, covers an important area of administration in a geographically challenging and strategically significant Union Territory.
Krishna will hold both portfolios until further orders.
Career Marked by Key Administrative Assignments
Over his IAS career, Krishna has worked across several important administrative domains.
His postings have included responsibilities in the Delhi government, including the Excise Department, as well as assignments in the Union Territories. His experience spans excise administration, urban and development-related responsibilities and health and family welfare.
His career has also attracted considerable attention because of the suspension linked to the Delhi excise policy episode and the subsequent legal proceedings over the continuation of that suspension.
The CAT’s 2024 order recorded that Krishna had been under suspension since August 2022 and that no charge memo had been filed within the stipulated period at the time he approached the tribunal. The tribunal ultimately quashed the suspension and its extensions.
His subsequent reinstatement and transfer to DNH&DD were followed by the July 2026 AGMUT reshuffle that brought him to Ladakh.
With the latest allocation of portfolios, the 2012-batch officer now assumes responsibility for Housing and Urban Development and Transport in Ladakh, alongside his existing role as Administrative Secretary.
