The Vishnu Deo Sai government in Chhattisgarh carried out a major administrative reshuffle on Tuesday evening, affecting 22 IAS officers and one IFS officer. The changes include a reallocation of responsibilities among senior secretary-level officials and the replacement of Collectors in six districts, as the government seeks to streamline administration and strengthen district-level functioning.
Among the significant changes, IFS officer Vivek Acharya has been relieved of his charge as Managing Director of the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board and sent back to his parent department, the Forest and Climate Change Department.
IAS officer Saumil Ranjan Chaubey has been given additional responsibility as Managing Director of the Tourism Board.
The reshuffle has brought new Collectors to Kanker, Kawardha, Gariaband, Mungeli, Sakti and Mohla-Manpur. Kundan Kumar, earlier Collector of Mungeli, has been transferred to Kanker as its new Collector.
Tulika Prajapati, who was serving as Collector of Mohla-Manpur, has been appointed Collector of Kawardha.
Amrit Vikas Topno, earlier posted as Collector of Sakti, will now take charge as Collector of Mungeli.
Ranveer Sharma has been appointed Collector of Gariaband, while Jayashree Jain, who was posted at the Mantralaya, has been given charge of Sakti.
Tanuja Salam, previously Director of the Sports Department, has been appointed Collector of Mohla-Manpur.
The reshuffle also marks the removal of several incumbent Collectors from their district assignments.
Nilesh Kshirsagar, who had served as Collector of Kanker for an extended period, has been appointed Director of Urban Administration and Development.
Kawardha Collector Gopal Verma has been shifted to the Mantralaya as Joint Secretary in the Forest and Climate Change Department.
The changes in Kawardha come against the backdrop of discussions surrounding an alleged rift between the district Collector and Superintendent of Police.
Kawardha SP Dharmendra Chhavai had also been removed from his position some time ago.
In Gariaband, Collector Bhagwan Singh Uike has been relieved of his district charge after serving for less than a year. He has been appointed Joint Secretary in the General Administration Department.
The postings in Kanker, Kawardha and Mungeli assume particular significance given the political and administrative importance of these districts. Kanker has a substantial tribal population and is known for its mineral resources.
Kawardha is politically important as it is associated with Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Vijay Sharma as well as Assembly Speaker Dr Raman Singh. Mungeli is the home district of Union Minister of State Tokhan Sahu and Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao.
The Tourism Board change is another key feature of the reshuffle. Acharya, who has also served in the Culture Department, has returned to the Forest Department.
Chaubey, who earlier served as Director of Public Relations during the previous Bhupesh Baghel government, will now oversee the Tourism Board.
Overall, the extensive reshuffle signals the Sai government’s effort to realign its administrative machinery with emerging priorities.
The new district-level appointments are expected to be closely watched as the officers take charge and the government moves ahead with its administrative agenda.
– Ends
Naresh Sharma input
Published On:
Aug 18, 2026 23:54 IST
