MP govt transfers 18 IAS officers 4 months before elections

Four months before the assembly elections, Madhya Pradesh government has transferred as many as 18 IAS officers, including divisional commissioners of Bhopal and Indore.

An order regarding the same was issued late on Sunday.

Indore divisional commissioner Pawan Sharma and Bhopal divisional commissioner Mal Singh Bhaydiya have swapped their posts.

Five collectors including of Chhindwara, the home district of former Chief Minister Kamal Nath, were transferred. Manoj Pushp, 2011 batch IAS officer, who was posted as additional chief secretary (Women and Child Development) of Madhya Pradesh, will be new collector of Chhindwara. He has also served as Rewa district collector.

Sanjeev Shrivastav, 2011 batch IAS officer, has been appointed as district collector of Bhind. Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner V. S. Choudhary (2012 batch IAS officer) has been appointed as additional secretary (urban development and housing).

2013 batch IAS officer Frank Nobel A., who was posted as Guna district collector, has been appointed as new BMC commissioner. District collectors of some other districts such as Umaria and Panna were also transferred.

Ujjain divisional commissioner Sandeep Yadav has been appointed as principal secretary of revenue department. Sanjay Goyal has been appointed as commissioner of Ujjain.

The Congress has raised question on transfer of IAS officers when the assembly elections are just four months away.

State Home Minister Narottam Mishra said on Monday that transfer of IAS officers was done in an normal procedure. "Transfer of officers is normal and continuous process. The Congress should not raise question on it. During 18 months government, the Congress had made Madhya Pradesh a transfer-posting industry," Mishra, who is also spokesperson of MP government, said.