Lucknow: In a major administrative reshuffle ahead of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, the Uttar Pradesh government has transferred 46 IAS officers, including 10 District Magistrates (DMs). The move aims to strengthen the administrative framework and ensure efficiency in governance before the key electoral process begins.
The transfer list includes major changes at the level of Divisional Commissioners, District Magistrates, and Chief Development Officers (CDOs).
10 District Magistrates Transferred Across Key Districts
District heads in Hathras, Sitapur, Basti, Siddharthnagar, Chitrakoot, Lalitpur, Shravasti, Rampur, Balrampur, and Kaushambi have been replaced.
- Atul Vats, Vice-Chairman of the Ghaziabad Development Authority, has been appointed District Magistrate, Hathras.
- Pulkit Garg, Vice-Chancellor of the Varanasi Development Authority, is the new District Magistrate, Chitrakoot.
- Krittika Jyotsna, Special Secretary, State Tax Department, has been made District Magistrate, Basti.
- Raja Ganpati R, former DM of Siddharthnagar, will now serve as DM, Sitapur, while Abhishek Anand, outgoing DM Sitapur, has been appointed Special Secretary, Excise Department.
- Shivsharanappa GN, DM of Chitrakoot, has been transferred as DM, Siddharthnagar.
- Amandeep Duli, DM Lalitpur, has been shifted as Additional Commissioner, MNREGA, and replaced by Satya Prakash, Municipal Commissioner, Jhansi.
Most new DMs appointed are from the 2016 IAS batch, signaling the government’s push to entrust key districts to young officers.
Key Administrative Appointments
The reshuffle also affected several senior officers in leadership roles:
- Rajesh Kumar has been appointed Divisional Commissioner, Mirzapur.
- Dr. Rupesh Kumar, MD, Uttar Pradesh State Power Generation Corporation, has been made Divisional Commissioner, Saharanpur.
- Atal Kumar Rai, Divisional Commissioner, Saharanpur, has been transferred as Secretary, Home Department.
- Bhanu Chandra Goswami, Relief Commissioner, has been made Divisional Commissioner, Meerut — a move seen as a reward for his effective relief management during recent natural calamities.
- Mayur Maheshwari, CEO, Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority, will now serve as Managing Director, Uttar Pradesh State Power Generation Corporation.
- Vijay Kiran Anand, CEO, Invest UP, will hold additional charge of CEO, Industrial Development Authority, and head of the NRI Cell.
Sources indicate that Vijay Kiran Anand, known to be a trusted officer of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, will now play a more decisive role in driving industrial development policy and investor facilitation in the state.
Reactions and Political Controversy
The Samajwadi Party (SP) has raised questions over the timing and intent of the transfers.
SP’s State President Shyam Lal Pal has written to the Election Commission, alleging that the reshuffle favors officers “with the BJP government’s mindset” and that appointments were influenced by caste and religion.
He claimed that such politically motivated postings could compromise the transparency of the upcoming SIR exercise.
The Case of IAS Amandeep Duli
One of the more discussed transfers is that of IAS Amandeep Duli, who has been moved from District Magistrate, Lalitpur, to Additional Commissioner, MNREGA — just three months after his posting.
Duli recently went viral for a video urging citizens to celebrate Diwali safely, which drew both praise and trolling on social media due to his hairstyle and mannerisms.
Sources suggest that senior officials were reportedly unhappy with his work style and difficulty in adapting to Bundelkhand’s local dialect, which may have contributed to his transfer.
Strategic Realignment Before SIR
According to senior bureaucrats, the large-scale reshuffle comes as part of a strategic administrative realignment to ensure impartiality and efficiency during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The government has directed all transferred officers to assume charge immediately and submit their joining reports through the Director General of Police and relevant departments.
