The Karnataka government has transferred several IAS officers in a reshuffle that changes senior leadership in the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Labour, Minority Welfare and regional administration departments. The orders were reported by Prajavani on October 5, 2026.
Pankaj Kumar Pandey, who was serving as Principal Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (e-Governance), has been appointed Principal Secretary of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department. He has also been given additional charge as Principal Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (e-Governance).
Sameer Shukla, who was holding additional charge of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, has been relieved of that responsibility following the appointment of Pandey. The department handles the state’s administrative framework for rural development and panchayat-related governance.
Amlan Aditya Biswas, who was serving as Bengaluru Regional Commissioner, has been appointed Principal Secretary of the Labour Department. Salma K. Faheem, who was Secretary of the Labour Department, has been appointed Secretary of the Minority Welfare Department.
Manoj Jain, who was serving in the Minority Welfare Department, has not been assigned a new post in the orders reported by Prajavani and has been placed without a designated posting. Captain Dr K. Rajendra, who was awaiting a posting, has been appointed Bengaluru Regional Commissioner.
The reshuffle also assigns additional responsibility to Dr R. Raghapriya, who is serving as Labour Commissioner. She has been given additional charge as Managing Director of the Karnataka State Small Industries Development Corporation.
The changes cover both departmental secretariat positions and field-level administrative leadership. The appointment of a new Bengaluru Regional Commissioner. the senior administrative office responsible for the Bengaluru regional division, while the movement of officers across labour, rural development, minority welfare and small industries changes the officers supervising these departments.
The order also creates additional-charge arrangements in two places. Pandey will continue to hold the Personnel and Administrative Reforms (e-Governance) portfolio in addition to his new Rural Development and Panchayat Raj responsibility, while Raghapriya will combine her existing role as Labour Commissioner with the managing director’s post at the small industries development corporation.
The reported orders do not specify the duration of the additional charges or provide reasons for the transfers. They also do not set out separate implementation timelines for the new assignments. The officers named in the order will take charge of the responsibilities listed in the Karnataka government’s transfer and posting directions.
