Gandhinagar, March 6 (IANS) The Gujarat government has carried out a major reshuffle in the state police administration, transferring 37 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers and assigning them new responsibilities.

The changes, implemented with immediate effect in public interest, include several upgrades and downgrades of posts to accommodate officers of the appropriate rank.

The reshuffle also comes ahead of upcoming municipal corporation and district panchayat elections in major cities of the state.

Among the key changes, 2010-batch IPS officer Nirlipt Rai has been transferred from the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) in Gandhinagar and appointed Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of the Rajkot Range.

Ashok Kumar, a 2003-batch IPS officer who was serving as Inspector General of Police (IGP) of the Rajkot Range, has been transferred and appointed IGP, CID (Intelligence), in Gandhinagar.

Senior IPS officer Dr Shamsher Singh of the 1991 batch has been appointed Director of Civil Defence and Commandant General of Home Guards in Ahmedabad.

Singh had recently returned to Gujarat from deputation with the Border Security Force and had been waiting for a posting since January.

In another key appointment, 2005-batch IPS officer Raghvendra Vatsa has been transferred from the post of Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) in Surat city and appointed IGP of the Ahmedabad Range.

The government has also created a new Banaskantha Range, raising the total number of police ranges in the state to 10.

IPS officer Parikshita Rathod of the 2007 batch, who was serving as Inspector General of CID Crime, has been appointed IG of the newly-formed range.

Several other officers have also been given new responsibilities. IPS officer Vidhi Chaudhary (2009 batch) has been appointed Deputy Inspector General of the Panchmahal–Godhra Range after serving as Additional Commissioner of Police (Special Branch) in Ahmedabad City.

Dr Leena Patil, a 2010-batch officer who was Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime and Law and Order) in Vadodara, has been transferred to the Gujarat Police Academy.

In Ahmedabad, a new Zone-8 has been created in the city police structure. IPS officer Mayur Patil has been appointed Deputy Commissioner of Police of the newly-formed zone.

Other changes include the promotion of Makrand Chauhan to the rank of IGP and his appointment as DIG (Law and Order) in Gandhinagar, while Wabang Jamir has been placed on waiting for posting.

Several officers have also been appointed to senior positions in Surat, Vadodara and the state Intelligence and anti-corruption units as part of the administrative overhaul.

–IANS

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