CM brings in crack team for city makeover; Jairaj back as BMP Chief

Major reshuffle of IAS, IPS officers in State
Jairaj is BMP chief
Deccan Herald

With a slew of infrastructure projects lined up for Bangalore, the JD (S)-BJP Government on Thursday changed the chiefs of three civic bodies in the City, along with a major reshuffle of bureaucrats in which 53 IAS and IPS officers were transferred.

With a slew of infrastructure projects lined up for Bangalore, the JD (S)-BJP Government on Thursday changed the chiefs of three civic bodies in the City, along with a major reshuffle of bureaucrats in which 53 IAS and IPS officers were transferred.

In an apparent bid to improve the image of BMP, the government has brought back high-profile senior IAS officer K Jairaj, who was on a foreign assignment, as the new Commissioner of Bangalore Mahanagara Palike.

BDA commissioner

With the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) also set to take up several key infrastructure projects including the peripheral ring road, the Government has appointed IT and BT secretary M K Shankarlinge Gowda BDA Commissioner in place of M N Vidyashankar. Bescom Managing Director G Kumar Naik has been posted as Pre-University Board Director and CET Cell Special Officer in place of Gonal Bheemappa. Mr Bheemappa will now be the new managing director of Bescom.

In all 34 IAS, 19 IPS officers, mostly SPs and 34 KAS officers were transferred. In fact, the reshuffle of bureaucrats was expected to be taken up soon after the inception of the JD (S)-BJP government. But, Chief Minister H D Kumaara-swamy had decided to wait for some time before effecting the reshuffle.

For the first time, the government has appointed a woman Principal Secretary of the Home Department. Vatsala Watsa, who was Principal Secretary, Labour Department, will be the new Principal Secretary, Home Department. Senior IAS officer K N Srivastava, who was awaiting posting after being shunted out as managing director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) has been posted as Principal Secretary, Social Welfare Department (Minority Welfare). BMP Commissioner K Jothiramalingam has been appointed Principal Secretary, Labour Department, while BDA Commissioner M N Vidyashankar has been posted as Secretary, Health and Family Welfare department (Medical Education). The orders issued earlier appointing B A Harish Gowda as Secretary, Medical Education, has been cancelled.

SPs transferred

The government has also effected the transfer of SPs in various districts, including Bangalore. Malini Krishnamurthy, who was Commandant, Ist Battalion, has been posted as DCP (North). Ramasubba, DCP (CAR) has been posted DCP-(Traffic) West Division in place of Basavaraj Malagatti; DCP (North).

P Muniswamy has been posted as DCP (East) in place of Bijay Kumar Singh. Singh has been made SP, Udupi, in place of S Murugan, who has been appointed SP, Mysore district. Kolar SP Syed Ulfath Hussain has been appointed DCP (CAR Headquarters), Bangalore.

The other IAS officers who have been transferred include D Venkateswara Rao, Principal Secretary, Social Welfare Department (Minority Welfare) as Principal Secretary, Agriculture and Horticulture Department (Horticulture); D Thangaraj, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department as Principal Secretary, Transport Department, in place of B L Sridhar. K M Shivakumar, Principal Secretary, Forest, Environment and Ecology Department has been posted as Principal Secretary, Commerce and Industries Department. Kaushik Mukherjee, Principal Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, has been posted as Principal Secretary, Education Department (Higher Education).