Following the suspension of senior officials in connection with a land scam in Haridwar, the Uttarakhand government has appointed 2013-batch IAS officer Mr. Mayur Dixit as the new District Magistrate of Haridwar. He will formally take charge on Wednesday at 1 PM at the Treasury of the Collectorate.
The decision comes after Chief Minister Mr. Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered swift administrative action in the wake of serious irregularities uncovered in the Haridwar Municipal Corporation. On Tuesday evening, 12 officials — including former DM Mr. Karmendra Singh, the then Municipal Commissioner, and the SDM — were suspended over their alleged involvement in the land scam. A few hours later, Mr. Dixit was named as Mr. Singh’s replacement.
Mr. Mayur Dixit was earlier serving as the District Magistrate of Tehri Garhwal, while also holding dual responsibilities as the Director of the Rehabilitation Tehri Dam Project and Vice Chairman of the District Development Authority, Tehri. He has now been relieved of these assignments to take on the crucial role in Haridwar district.
Simultaneously, Ms. Nitika Khandelwal, who was serving as Additional Secretary in the state government, has been appointed as the new District Magistrate of Tehri. She will also take charge as Director, Rehabilitation Tehri Dam Project. A 2015-batch IAS officer, Ms. Khandelwal has held key roles including in Information Technology, Suraj portal, Science & Technology, Director of USAC, and as Managing Director of Hiltron.
Speculation had been rife throughout the day regarding the successor to Mr. Karmendra Singh, with Mela Officer Ms. Sonika also being considered a contender. However, by Tuesday evening, the Personnel and Vigilance Department issued formal orders appointing Mr. Dixit to the post.
These high-level transfers signal the Uttarakhand government’s intention to maintain administrative accountability in the wake of the Haridwar land scam.
