Major Gujarat Administrative Reshuffle: 17 Senior IAS Officers Transferred; New Collectors Named for Mehsana, Anand, and Vav-Tharad
In a major governance restructuring, the Gujarat state government ordered a wide-ranging administrative reshuffle involving 17 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers. The transfers, formally issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), bring key operational updates across district collectorates, local development bodies, and state administrative departments.
Key District Collectorate Appointments
Under the latest directives, several districts received new administrative heads to lead local governance and development initiatives:
Harshit Pruthwiraj Gosavi (IAS: 2013: GJ): Previously serving as Additional Secretary in the Home Department (Law and Order), Gosavi has been appointed Collector of Mehsana. He succeeds S.K. Prajapati (IAS), who has been reassigned as Additional Rural Development Commissioner in Gandhinagar.
Utsav Gautam (IAS: 2018: GJ): Formerly the District Development Officer (DDO) of Kutch-Bhuj, Gautam takes over as Collector of Anand. Outgoing Collector Praveen Chaudhary (IAS: 2014: GJ) moves to a strategic industrial assignment as Chief Executive Officer overseeing both the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) and the Mandal-Becharaji SIR under the Industries and Mines Department.
M.J. Dave (IAS: 2014: GJ): Moving from his role as DDO of Banaskantha-Palanpur, Dave has been named Collector of Vav-Tharad, relieving Kalpesh Kumar Sharma of his additional charge over the district.
Strategic Departmental and Secretarial Realignments
The state executive realignment also introduces senior appointments across vital state departments, media management, and economic institutions:
G.T. Pandya (IAS: 2011: GJ): Transferred from his post as Additional Secretary in the Education Department to serve as Director of Information.
Alok Kumar Pandey (IAS: 2006: GJ): Secretary of the Tribal Development Department; assigned the additional responsibility of Commissioner of Relief.
Gaurang Makwana (IAS: 2012: GJ): Managing Director of Uttar Gujarat Vij Company Ltd (UGVCL); handed additional charge as Managing Director of iNDEXTb (Industrial Extension Bureau).
C.C. Kotak (IAS: 2018: GJ): Deputy Director General of the Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration (SPIPA); posted as Special Director of the State Institute of Rural Development.
B.N. Patel: Named Director General of the Sports Authority of Gujarat.
Sachin Kumar (IAS: 2019: GJ): Reassigned to serve as Deputy Secretary in the Home Department.
Restructuring District Development and Tribal Administration
To strengthen rural execution and tribal welfare projects, the state government reorganized key District Development Officer (DDO) and Project Administrator roles:
Officer Name Cadre Batch New Designation / Placement Previous Assignment
Ram Niwas Bugalia IAS: 2019 DDO, Banaskantha-Palanpur DDO, Tapi
Atirag Chaplot IAS: 2019 DDO, Kutch-Bhuj DDO, Valsad
Vandana Meena IAS: 2022 DDO, Valsad Project Administrator (Tribal Sub-Plan), Mahisagar
Rajesh Kumar Mourya IAS: 2022 DDO, Amreli Project Administrator (Tribal Sub-Plan), Tapi
Swapnil Mahadeo Sisle — DDO, Tapi Project Administrator (Tribal Sub-Plan), Navsari
Omkar Rajendra Shinde IAS: 2022 DDO, Chhota Udepur Project Administrator (Tribal Sub-Plan), Chhota Udepur
This comprehensive realignment reflects the state’s ongoing drive to streamline field administration, accelerate key infrastructure projects, and optimize departmental service delivery across Gujarat.
