Jaipur: The Rajasthan government has ordered a major reshuffle of the Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS), transferring 183 officers ahead of the upcoming Panchayati Raj and urban local body elections.
The Department of Personnel issued the transfer and posting orders on Tuesday, with all changes taking effect immediately.
The reshuffle follows directions from the State Election Commission regarding the transfer of officers who have been posted at the same location for three years or are serving in their home districts.
The move is being viewed as a significant administrative exercise ahead of the elections, with the government seeking to ensure a fair, transparent and impartial electoral process.
Among the prominent officers in the transfer list is Yogesh Kumar Srivastava, a 2008-batch RAS officer who was serving as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma's office. He has now been appointed General Manager of Ganganagar Sugar Mills Limited in Jaipur.
The transfer list covers officers posted across several districts, departments, development authorities and local bodies. Several officers have been assigned new responsibilities as Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs), Additional District Magistrates (ADMs) and other key administrative positions.
Senior RAS officer Pinky Meena has also been transferred, marking her second transfer in two months. She has been appointed Assistant Collector (Headquarters) in Dausa. She was previously serving as Assistant Director in the Department of Administrative Reforms and Coordination in Sawai Madhopur.
The state government has also reassigned officers serving in their home districts in accordance with the State Election Commission's directions.
Other officers whose postings have been changed include Mahavir Kharadi, Ashok Kumar IV, Naresh Bunkar, Rajveer Singh Chaudhary, Ashok Kumar Sharma, Alok Jain, Akash Ranjan, Jagdish Prasad Gaur, Rajkumar Kaswa and Om Prakash Saharan.
The extensive reshuffle comes as Rajasthan prepares for elections to urban local bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions.
With the Model Code of Conduct expected to come into force soon, the state government is moving to put the administrative machinery in place for election management.
The transfers are aimed at preventing prolonged postings and potential administrative influence in the electoral process, while ensuring that key positions are staffed ahead of the polls.
Administrative circles are also expecting an IAS transfer list in the coming days. The possible reshuffle is likely to be part of the state government's broader exercise to streamline the administrative machinery before the Model Code of Conduct takes effect.
With the local body elections approaching, Tuesday's RAS reshuffle marks one of the biggest administrative changes in Rajasthan ahead of the polls.
With IANS inputs