In a significant bureaucratic reshuffle, the Uttarakhand government led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami transferred 33 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers and 24 Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officers late on Thursday night. This marks another round of high-level administrative changes aimed at streamlining governance and enhancing departmental efficiency.
This is the second major reshuffle in just over a month. On May 11, the state had transferred 25 IAS and 12 PCS officers, reflecting a continued push by the Dhami government to reorganize the state’s administrative machinery for better performance.
DMs of Pauri, Champawat, Rudraprayag, and Uttarkashi Replaced
Among the most notable changes:
2012 batch IAS officer Ashish Chauhan, DM of Pauri, has been appointed CEO of UCADA and Director of Sports and Youth Welfare.
Swati S Bhadauria, also an IAS officer of 2012 batch, NHM Mission Director and Additional Secretary to the Governor, will now serve as the new DM of Pauri. She was originally from the Chhattisgarh cadre and was later transferred to the Uttarakhand cadre in 2015.
2015 batch IAS officer Navneet Pandey, the current DM of Champawat, has been shifted to the role of Additional Secretary Personnel, replaced by Manish Kumar, the CDO of Udham Singh Nagar.
2016 batch IAS officer Saurabh Gaharwar, DM of Rudraprayag, becomes MD of SIDCUL and Director General Industries, while Prateek Jain, the current SIDCUL MD, will take over as the DM of Rudraprayag.
Meharban Singh Bisht (2005 batch UK PCS), DM of Uttarkashi, is now Additional Secretary Energy and Cooperation and Director UREDA. While 2017 batch IPS officer Prashant Kumar Arya, Director of Sports and Additional Secretary Child Development, is now the DM of Uttarkashi.
Read Also: Devotees Use Ambulances to Bypass Traffic on Way to Kedarnath, Caught by Uttarakhand Police
Major Departmental Reshuffles Among IAS Officials
Several secretaries and senior IAS officers have also had their portfolios reshuffled:–
1992 batch IAS officer Anand Bardhan has been relieved of the Water Resources Department.
2003 batch IAS officer Sachin Kurve has been removed from Secretary Tourism and CEO of the Tourism Development Council.
Dilip Jawalkar, also an IAS officer of 2003 batch, has been relieved of Cooperation and assigned Water Resources.
2004 batch IAS officer Dr. BVRC Purushottam, Secretary Animal Husbandry and CEO, is now also in charge of Cooperation.
2000 batch IAS officer Dr. Pankaj Pandey no longer holds the Labour portfolio.
2006 batch IAS officer Chandresh Yadav has been relieved of Urban Development but becomes Commissioner of Food.
Other senior changes include
Dr. R Rajesh Kumar loses Irrigation and Minor Irrigation from his Health Secretary role.
Dr. Neeraj Khairwal is shifted from Social Welfare to the Language Department.
Sridhar Babu Addanki gains the Social Welfare and Labour Department.
Jugal Kishore Pant moves from Language and Swajal to Irrigation and Minor Irrigation.
Dhiraj Singh Garbyal is shifted from Minority Welfare to Secretary Tourism.
IFS Parag Madhukar Dhakate is now Special Secretary Minority Welfare.
Sonika, Ranjana Rajguru, Anand Swaroop, Reena Joshi, and Manuj Goyal are among other senior officials who saw shifts in their responsibilities.
PCS Officers: 24 Transferred Across Key Administrative Roles
In the Provincial Civil Services (PCS) cadre-
Bharat Singh Firmal has been made Additional Secretary Secretariat Service.
Shiv Kumar Barnwal now also serves as Secretary of UKSSSC.
Ramji Sharan Sharma becomes CDO Almora.
Ashok Kumar Joshi is now Director of Milk Development and Women’s Dairy.
Trilok Singh Martolia has been made RFC Kumaon.
PC Dumka has been appointed Labour Commissioner and Secretary, Workers Board.
Several other PCS officers have been transferred across administrative and municipal roles in Haridwar, Dehradun, Nainital, Almora, Kotdwar, and Pithoragarh.
Notable changes include-
Shailendra Negi moved from Municipal Commissioner of Rishikesh to ADM Nainital.
Tushar Saini becomes Municipal Commissioner of Kashipur.
Neelu Chawla has been appointed Deputy Collector Tehri.
Sanjay Kumar, Director of Skill Development, has received additional charge of Director Employment.
Preparations in Full Swing for Central Regional Council Meeting
On the same day, Chief Minister Dhami convened a high-level review meeting at his official residence to evaluate the state’s preparedness for the upcoming Central Regional Council meeting. The meeting focused on ensuring robust inter-departmental coordination and effective infrastructure readiness.
CM Dhami emphasized the significance of the council as a platform for addressing shared governance issues among central and state governments. He called on senior officials to treat the event with “utmost priority” and ensure comprehensive planning and execution.
Children’s Welfare and Nutrition Strategy Reviewed
Addressing one of his key social development agendas, the Chief Minister also directed departments to work toward a unified and goal-oriented strategy focused on children’s nutrition and holistic growth.
Stressing that “the future of children defines the future of the state and the country,” Dhami urged departments including Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), Food Security, Health, and Sports to collaborate closely. He instructed them to improve service delivery mechanisms targeting physical, mental, and emotional well-being of children across Uttarakhand.
Ayushman Yojana Registration Made Mandatory at Government Hospitals
As part of health sector reforms, Dhami ordered mandatory registration of citizens under the Ayushman Yojana at all government hospitals. The move aims to expand the reach and effectiveness of the flagship healthcare initiative, ensuring maximum benefits reach the state’s population.
In line with public safety goals, the Chief Minister also emphasized the widespread promotion of emergency helpline number 112, urging departments to raise awareness and improve emergency response times.
Push for Sustainable Development: Ecology-Economy Coordination
In a forward-looking directive, CM Dhami asked state departments to draft innovative proposals aligned with the principle of ‘coordination of ecology and economy’. These proposals are expected to form the basis of new sustainable development initiatives, balancing environmental preservation with economic growth.
The Chief Minister reiterated his administration’s commitment to inclusive, sustainable, and citizen-centric governance, underlining that reforms and reshuffles are part of a broader vision for Uttarakhand’s long-term growth.
