Gujarat IAS Reshuffle: Rajkumar Beniwal Appointed Surat Municipal Commissioner, Major Changes in Key Departments
The Gujarat government has carried out a significant reshuffle of senior IAS officers, bringing fresh appointments and additional responsibilities across some of the state’s key administrative departments. The latest orders affect municipal administration, revenue, urban development, welfare and district governance, with several senior officers being shifted to new assignments while others have been entrusted with additional charge of important posts.
The General Administration Department issued the transfer and additional-charge orders from Gandhinagar, setting in motion a series of changes involving officers from different batches of the Indian Administrative Service. Among the most prominent decisions is the appointment of 2004-batch IAS officer Rajkumar Beniwal as Municipal Commissioner of the Surat Municipal Corporation, one of the state’s most significant urban local bodies.
The reshuffle also provides for changes at Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd. (GNFC), the Revenue Department, the Urban Development and Urban Housing Department, welfare administration and Mehsana district.
Rajkumar Beniwal Appointed Surat Municipal Commissioner
Rajkumar Beniwal (RR:GJ:2004), a 2004-batch IAS officer, has been transferred from Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd., Bharuch, where he was serving as Managing Director. He has now been appointed Municipal Commissioner of the Surat Municipal Corporation.
Beniwal’s move places him in charge of the civic administration of Surat, one of Gujarat’s major cities and an important commercial and industrial centre. As Municipal Commissioner, he will be responsible for overseeing the functioning of the municipal corporation and coordinating a wide range of urban civic and development-related activities.
He will succeed Tejas Parmar, who had been looking after the Municipal Commissioner’s responsibilities as an additional charge. The appointment therefore brings a regular senior IAS officer into the top administrative position of the municipal corporation.
Beniwal’s transfer also marks a move from the leadership of a major state-run enterprise to a demanding urban governance assignment. His experience as Managing Director of the fertiliser and chemicals company will now be followed by a role involving municipal administration, infrastructure, civic services and urban development.
Sanjeev Kumar Gets Additional Charge of GNVFC
With Beniwal moving out of the company, the Gujarat government has also made an arrangement for the Managing Director’s post at Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd. Sanjeev Kumar (RR:GJ:1998), Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, has been entrusted with additional charge as Managing Director of the company until further orders.
The arrangement ensures that the organisation continues to have senior administrative oversight following Beniwal’s transfer. Kumar is a 1998-batch IAS officer and currently holds an important position in the Chief Minister’s Office, making the additional responsibility a significant assignment.
The move reflects the government’s approach of using additional charge arrangements to maintain continuity in important institutions while a regular appointment is made.
Revenue Department Responsibilities Reallocated
The latest reshuffle also changes the distribution of responsibilities within Gujarat’s Revenue Department. Rajesh Manjhu (RR:GJ:2004), a 2004-batch IAS officer, had been serving as Revenue Inspection Commissioner and Ex-officio Secretary to the Revenue Department while also holding additional responsibility as Superintendent of Stamps and Inspector General of Registration.
Under the new arrangement, Manjhu will now exclusively handle the responsibilities of Superintendent of Stamps and Inspector General of Registration. The change effectively narrows his current portfolio and separates these responsibilities from the Revenue Inspection Commissioner’s assignment.
The government has simultaneously assigned the additional charge of Revenue Inspection Commissioner and Ex-officio Secretary to the Revenue Department to Jenu Devan (RR:GJ:2006). Devan is currently serving as Secretary to the Government in the Finance Department, with responsibility for Expenditure.
The redistribution places the Revenue Inspection Commissioner’s responsibilities with a senior officer already working in the state’s financial administration. It also allows Manjhu to focus specifically on the important areas of stamps and registration.
Remya Mohan Muthadath Gets Additional Urban Development Role
Another notable change concerns Remya Mohan Muthadath (RR:GJ:2007), who is serving as Commissioner of Municipalities Administration. She has now been given additional responsibility as Secretary to the Government for Housing and Nirmal Gujarat under the Urban Development and Urban Housing Department.
Muthadath will continue in her existing role as Commissioner of Municipalities Administration while taking on the additional responsibilities assigned under the latest order. She will also continue to serve as Managing Director of Gujarat Urban Development Company Ltd. and Additional CEO of the Gujarat Urban Development Mission.
The expanded portfolio places her at the intersection of municipal administration, housing and urban development. These areas are closely connected to the state’s continuing efforts to improve urban infrastructure, municipal services and housing-related initiatives.
The combination of responsibilities also means that Muthadath will continue overseeing her existing municipal assignments while taking on a broader role within the state’s urban development framework.
Rachit Raj Shifted to Tribal Development Department
The reshuffle also brings a change in the state’s welfare administration. Rachit Raj (RR:GJ:2014) has been moved from his position as Director of Scheduled Castes Welfare to Director of Tribal Development.
However, he will continue to hold additional charge of his previous assignment as Director of Scheduled Castes Welfare. This means Raj will simultaneously oversee responsibilities connected with both tribal development and Scheduled Castes welfare under the latest administrative arrangement.
The dual responsibility gives him an important role in the state’s social welfare machinery. Both departments deal with programmes and initiatives aimed at supporting vulnerable and historically disadvantaged communities, making coordination and effective implementation particularly important at the administrative level.
Harshil R. Meena Appointed Mehsana DDO
At the district level, Harshil R. Meena (RR:GJ:2021), a 2021-batch IAS officer, has been appointed District Development Officer of Mehsana. He will replace P. B. Rathod in the post.
The District Development Officer has a key role in coordinating rural development and district-level government programmes. The position involves working closely with local administration and implementing development schemes at the grassroots level.
Meena’s posting to Mehsana gives the 2021-batch officer an important field-level administrative responsibility. District postings are generally regarded as an important part of an IAS officer’s career because they provide direct exposure to implementation, public service delivery and coordination among different government agencies.
Wide-Ranging Administrative Reshuffle
The latest Gujarat reshuffle covers several layers of the state’s administrative structure rather than being limited to a single department or region. From Surat’s municipal administration and GNFC’s corporate leadership to revenue, housing, welfare and district development, the orders redistribute responsibilities among officers with considerable experience in their respective areas.
Rajkumar Beniwal’s appointment as Surat Municipal Commissioner is the most prominent transfer in the latest exercise, moving a 2004-batch officer from the leadership of a major public-sector company to one of Gujarat’s most important municipal corporations. At the same time, Sanjeev Kumar’s additional charge at GNFC ensures continuity at the organisation following Beniwal’s departure.
The Revenue Department has seen a particularly important redistribution, with Rajesh Manjhu focusing on stamps and registration while Jenu Devan takes additional charge of revenue inspection. In the urban development sector, Remya Mohan Muthadath’s portfolio has been expanded, while Rachit Raj has taken charge of Tribal Development alongside his existing welfare responsibility.
At the district level, Harshil R. Meena’s appointment as Mehsana DDO adds another field-administration change to the reshuffle. Taken together, the latest orders represent a broad administrative realignment aimed at distributing responsibilities among senior officers and ensuring continuity in several critical areas of Gujarat’s governance machinery.
