Centre Rebukes Delhi Government Over Delay In Relieving IAS Officers; 7 Bureaucrats Transferred

In a separate order issued late on Tuesday night, the MHA also ordered the transfer of a fresh batch of seven AGMUT cadre IAS officers.    

In its communication, the MHA reminded the Delhi government of the transfer posting guidelines and directed the authorities to relieve the officers immediately; otherwise, they will be presumed to be relieved.

Delay In Relieving Officers

“With the approval of the Competent Authority, the IAS officers were transferred on 24.02.2026. However, it has been observed that they have not been relieved from the GNCTD till date," the MHA order said. 

“Attention is invited to the Guidelines for Transfer/Posting of IAS/IPS Officers of AGMUT cadre, 2016, which stipulates that officers under transfer shall be relieved to join their new segment within 15 days from the effective date of transfer. Should non-compliance of transfer orders persist, the officer would be deemed to be ‘Stand Relieved’ apart from other consequences under the service rules, such as stoppage of salary, issuance of displeasure, debarment from promotion/Central Deputation," the order further read.

“Therefore, the above three IAS officers shall stand relieved from GNCTD w.e.f. 24.04.2026, and are directed to join their new place of posting immediately thereafter, under intimation to this Ministry," it said.

The officers who are to be relieved include K.C. Surender, Sushil Singh, and Pranjal J. Hazarika. Surender has been transferred from Delhi to Puducherry; Singh has been transferred to Mizoram; and Hazarika has been transferred to Jammu and Kashmir.

Seven AGMUT Cadre Officers Transferred

Meanwhile, the MHA, in a separate order, ordered the transfer of seven AGMUT cadre IAS officers.

Rajeeva Shukla has been transferred to Puducherry, Vivek Agarwal has been posted in Jammu and Kashmir, Anoop Thakur has been transferred to Puducherry, Saumyaketu Mishra has been sent to Mizoram, Asha Choudhary Malhotra and Vikas Ahlawat have been posted in Jammu and Kashmir, and D. Karthikeyan has been transferred to Chandigarh.

Such transfers are part of routine administrative exercises aimed at maximising utilisation of officers across the segments under the AGMUT cadre (which includes Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territories). 

The latest reshuffle is expected to strengthen governance and administrative efficiency, particularly in the strategically important Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.