Awanish Kumar appointed as Delhi’s new excise commissioner
Delhi Names Awanish Kumar as Excise Commissioner Amid Policy Preparations
Bharatmorningnews.com – The Delhi government has appointed 2014-batch IAS officer Awanish Kumar as the city’s new excise commissioner, filling a position that had been vacant since the transfer of Ravi Jha last month. The services department issued the appointment order on Thursday, stating that Kumar will assume the role with immediate effect.
The change comes at an important point for Delhi’s excise administration, as the government is working towards finalising a new excise policy. The commissioner’s office has a central role in overseeing the administration of liquor-related regulations and the implementation of policy decisions in the capital.
Before this posting, Kumar served as director of training and technical education as well as higher education. His move to the excise department places him in charge during a period when the government is preparing the next framework for the sector.
Vacancy Filled After Ravi Jha’s Transfer
The excise commissioner’s post had remained unoccupied after Ravi Jha was moved to Arunachal Pradesh in the previous month. Kumar’s immediate appointment restores a full-time administrative head to the department as work continues on the proposed policy.
The upcoming excise policy has attracted attention because of its potential effect on the way liquor sales and related administration are managed in Delhi. With the government seeking to complete the policy process, the new commissioner will be expected to help steer the department through its implementation responsibilities once decisions are finalised.
The appointment is part of a broader reshuffle involving several senior officials across Delhi government departments and public bodies.
Health Secretary Relieved of Additional Responsibility
In another significant change, 2006-batch IAS officer Rupesh Kumar Thakur has been relieved of his health department charge. Thakur had been serving as health secretary while also holding additional responsibility as chief executive officer of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board, or DUSIB.
His reassignment comes while an Anti-Corruption Branch inquiry is examining alleged irregularities connected to the procurement of medicines, medical equipment and consumables valued at hundreds of crores. The government order removes the health portfolio from Thakur, while the wider administrative reshuffle adjusts duties in several other departments.
The health department is responsible for a wide range of public healthcare administration in the capital, including the management of government health services and related procurement processes. The decision to separate the health charge from Thakur’s existing responsibilities marks a notable adjustment in the department’s leadership arrangement.
Changes in Transport, Tourism and Public Works Portfolios
Niharika Rai, secretary-cum-commissioner for transport, will no longer hold the additional tourism portfolio. Rai had also been assigned additional charge as chairperson of the Delhi Transport Corporation, alongside her transport responsibilities.
The revised allocation leaves her focused on transport-related duties and the Delhi Transport Corporation assignment, while tourism is removed from her list of additional responsibilities.
Mekala Chaitanya Prasad, special secretary in the health department, has received an additional posting as special secretary in the Public Works Department. At the same time, Suneel Anchipaka has been relieved of the PWD portfolio.
Such changes are intended to redistribute administrative responsibilities among senior officials and align departments with the government’s current priorities. The latest order affects areas ranging from excise and healthcare to transport, public works, infrastructure and planning.
Industrial, Power and Planning Roles Reassigned
Sanjay Kumar has been appointed managing director of the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, known as DSIIDC. He will also hold additional charge as secretary for information technology and officer on special duty for planning.
Under the order, Kumar will continue with the planning-related additional assignment until Yashpal Garg reaches superannuation. Following Garg’s retirement, Kumar is scheduled to take over as secretary for planning.
Ajay Kumar Gupta, commissioner for food safety, has also received multiple additional responsibilities. He will take charge as managing director of Delhi Transco and as chairperson of IPGCL and PPCL. Gupta will additionally serve as chairperson and managing director of DPCL, as well as chairperson of the pension trust.
Gupta has been relieved of the Home charge as part of the same round of transfers and postings.
Administrative Focus Shifts Across Key Departments
The reshuffle places new or revised leadership arrangements in departments that handle essential public functions and large public-sector organisations. The appointment of an excise commissioner is especially timely because the department is preparing for the next stage of Delhi’s excise-policy process.
For residents and businesses, the most immediate significance lies in the continuity of administration. A full-time excise commissioner will now lead the department as the government moves towards finalising its policy, while revised assignments in health, transport, public works, industrial infrastructure and power-sector bodies bring a new distribution of responsibility among senior officers.
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