Major Bureaucratic Reshuffle in Punjab: 26 IAS, PCS Officers Transferred, Several Deputy Commissioners Changed

Chandigarh, January 21, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
In a major administrative exercise, the Punjab Government on Tuesday ordered the transfer and posting of 26 IAS and PCS officers, including Deputy Commissioners of several districts, with immediate effect. The reshuffle, carried out on administrative grounds, has led to significant changes at the Secretariat, district, and departmental levels.

IAS Officers: Present Posting and New Assignment

• Vijay Namdeorao Zade, IAS (2002), presently serving as Administrative Secretary, Cooperation, has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Expenditure (Finance Department), with additional charge of Administrative Secretary, NRI Affairs.
• Ajit Balaji Joshi, IAS (2003), currently Administrative Secretary, Housing & Urban Development, has been transferred and posted as Administrative Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayats, with additional charge of Taxation, Cooperation, and Elections (Local Bodies Elections Wing).
• Abhinav Trikha, IAS (2006), who was serving as Administrative Secretary, School Education, has been posted as Secretary, Finance Department.
• Kanwal Preet Brar, IAS (2007), earlier Administrative Secretary, Medical Education & Research, has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, with additional charge of Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration.
• Kumar Amit, IAS (2010), presently Deputy Commissioner, SAS Nagar, has been appointed Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, with additional charge of Administrative Secretary, Tourism and Cultural Affairs.
• Vimal Kumar Setia, IAS (2010), who was serving as Director, Information and Public Relations, has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Home Affairs.
• Puneet Goyal, IAS (2010), earlier Special Secretary, Health, has been appointed Special Secretary, Medical Education and Research.
• Syed Sehrish Asgar, IAS (2013), who was serving as Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), has been transferred and posted as Special Secretary, Power, with additional charge of New and Renewable Energy Sources, Water Supply and Sanitation, and Head of Department, Water Supply & Sanitation.

Deputy Commissioners Transferred

• Preeti Yadav, IAS (2014), presently Deputy Commissioner, Patiala, has been transferred and her services placed at the disposal of the Department of Cooperation for posting as Managing Director, MARKFED.
• Varjeet Walia, IAS (2018), earlier Deputy Commissioner, Rupnagar, has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Patiala, replacing Preeti Yadav.
• Aditya Dachalwal, IAS (2016), who was serving in the Secretariat, has been appointed Deputy Commissioner, Rupnagar.
• Gulpreet Singh Aulakh, IAS (2015), earlier serving as Additional Deputy Commissioner, has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar.
• Harpreet Singh, IAS (2019), previously ADC, has been appointed Deputy Commissioner, Barnala, with additional charge of Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Barnala.

Other IAS Postings

• Sakshi Sawhney, IAS (2014), earlier Deputy Commissioner, has been posted as Chief Administrator, GMADA, with additional charge of PUDA and Director, Town and Country Planning.
• Paramvir Singh, IAS (2015), presently Deputy Commissioner, has been posted as Special Secretary, Revenue and Rehabilitation, with additional charge of Director, Land Records, Jalandhar.
• Amandeep Kaur, IAS (2015), earlier serving as Deputy Commissioner, has been posted as Special Secretary, NRI Affairs.
• Aparna M.B., IAS (2021), earlier under training/field assignment, has been posted as Chief Administrator, Patiala Development Authority.

PCS Officers Transferred

• Shikha Bhagat, PCS (2012), presently Additional Deputy Commissioner, has been posted as ADC, Phagwara, with additional charge of Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Phagwara.
• Karandeep Singh, PCS (2017), earlier SDM, has been posted as Deputy Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
• Khushpreet Singh, PCS (2025) has been appointed SDM, Lopoke, with additional charge of Estate Officer, Amritsar Development Authority.
• Rajbir Singh, PCS (2025) has been posted as Chief Minister’s Field Officer, Ferozepur.
• Arvind Kumar, PCS (2025) has been posted as Chief Minister’s Field Officer, Sri Muktsar Sahib.
• Kuldeep Chand, PCS (2025) has been posted as Chief Minister’s Field Officer, Gurdaspur.

Joining Instructions

All officers have been directed to join their new place of posting immediately, while a few postings will take effect upon the superannuation of the present incumbents.

The reshuffle is being viewed as a wide-ranging administrative reorganisation ahead of key governance and developmental priorities in the state.