THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, April 18: A pre-midnight reshuffle of Deputy Commissioners (DCs), who also serve as Principal District Census Officers under the Census Act, 1948 and Census Rules, 1990, has sparked concern in Jharkhand just weeks before the Census exercise begins.
Around 11:45 pm, a notification issued by the Karmik Vibhag and signed by Joint Secretary Chintu Doraiburu confirmed the transfer and posting of 17 IAS officers. Most of them have been assigned as DCs in different districts, leading to a significant reshuffle.
Reshuffle ahead of Census phase
The move comes ahead of the first phase of Census 2027, where house listing and enumeration will begin from May 16 in Jharkhand.
Some officers have been retained as DCs-cum-Principal District Census Officers but shifted to new districts, replacing their earlier assignments.
Centre’s advisory on transfers
The Jharkhand Story Network has accessed a March 11, 2026, letter from Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan to all states and Union Territories.
“It is important that once appointed, they are not shifted till the entire Census operation is over,” the letter states.
It further advises that Census functionaries should not be transferred until March 31, 2027.
In Jharkhand, all 24 DCs were designated as Principal District Census Officers. The recent reshuffle, however, appears to go against the Centre’s directive on non-transfer of officials involved in Census work.
17 DCs transferred
Notably, the Jharkhand government has transferred Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of 17 districts and issued an official notification in this regard.
The districts affected include Jamshedpur, Garhwa, Latehar, Gumla, Pakur, Godda and Deoghar, among others.
Key postings
Rajeev Ranjan has been posted as DC of Jamshedpur, while Sandeep Kumar takes charge as DC of Latehar. Ananya Mittal has been appointed DC of Garhwa, and Dileshwar Mahato as DC of Gumla.
Megha Bhardwaj has been posted as DC of Pakur, Lokesh Mishra as DC of Godda, and Shashi Prakash Singh as DC of Deoghar.
Major reshuffle details
Utkarsh Gupta has been shifted from Latehar to Koderma. Hemant Sati moves from Sahibganj to Hazaribagh, while Manish Kumar has been transferred from Pakur to Chaibasa.
Rituraj goes from Koderma to Ramgarh, and Ravi Anand from Jamtara to Chatra.
Deepak Kumar Dubey, earlier DDC of Godda, is now DC of Sahibganj. Dilip Pratap Singh Shekhawat moves from DDC Lohardaga to DC Palamu.
Saurabh Kumar Bhuvania has been appointed DC of Khunti from DDC Ranchi, while Sandeep Kumar Meena, who was awaiting posting, is now DC of Lohardaga.
Alok Kumar has been shifted from DDC Khunti to DC Jamtara.