The Delhi government has transferred Health Secretary Rupesh Kumar Thakur from the Health and Family Welfare Department as part of a major bureaucratic reshuffle involving 34 IAS and DANICS officers. The transfer, ordered on Thursday, comes nearly two months after Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh issued Thakur a show-cause notice over alleged procurement lapses and subsequently described his response as unsatisfactory. The development brings a change in the administrative leadership of the department amid scrutiny of the alleged irregularities. However, the transfer order, as described in the available information, does not establish any finding of wrongdoing against Thakur. The reshuffle also involves changes in responsibilities across other departments of the Delhi government.

According to the order issued by the Services Department, Thakur, a 2006-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, will continue as chief executive officer of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). He had been holding the position as an additional charge alongside his responsibilities as Health Secretary. With his transfer from the Health and Family Welfare Department, his continued role at DUSIB remains part of his administrative assignment. The order outlines the changes in departmental responsibilities following the wider reshuffle. The available details do not specify the full circumstances behind the decision to transfer him or indicate whether the move is directly linked to the procurement-related allegations.

The development follows the show-cause notice issued by Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh nearly two months earlier. A show-cause notice gives an official an opportunity to explain their position regarding an issue or alleged lapse before the competent authority considers further action. In this case, the minister subsequently termed Thakur’s response unsatisfactory, according to the information provided. The matter concerned alleged procurement lapses in the Health and Family Welfare Department. The specific transactions, purchases or procedural shortcomings under scrutiny were not detailed in the available report. Nor were details provided about any subsequent inquiry findings or disciplinary proceedings. The allegations therefore remain distinct from any formal determination of responsibility, and the transfer alone should not be interpreted as proof that misconduct occurred.

Also Read: Delhi Government Bans Bus Strikes For Six Months Amid Public Transport Concerns

As part of the reshuffle, Prashant Goyal, a 1993-batch IAS officer, has been assigned additional charge of the Health and Family Welfare Department. Goyal has also been posted as Additional Chief Secretary (Power), along with other responsibilities. His additional charge places him in an expanded administrative role following Thakur’s transfer. The appointment is among the changes announced by the Services Department in the order covering 34 IAS and DANICS officers. The arrangement reflects the Delhi government’s redistribution of senior administrative responsibilities across departments. The available information does not specify how long Goyal will hold the additional health portfolio or whether the government intends to make a separate appointment to the post.

The reshuffle involves officers belonging to the IAS and the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS), which supplies administrative officers for various government functions. Such orders can redistribute departmental oversight and additional responsibilities among senior officials. In the present case, the changes include Thakur’s transfer from the Health and Family Welfare Department, his continuation as DUSIB chief executive officer and Goyal’s additional charge of the health portfolio. The Services Department order provides the administrative framework for these changes, although the supplied details do not list all 34 officers or their revised assignments. The wider reshuffle therefore extends beyond the health department, even as Thakur’s transfer has drawn attention because of the earlier show-cause notice.

The immediate significance of the move lies in the change in leadership of Delhi’s Health and Family Welfare Department while questions over the alleged procurement lapses remain part of the reported background. Goyal will take on additional responsibility for the department alongside his other assignments, including the Power portfolio. Thakur, meanwhile, will continue as DUSIB chief executive officer under the arrangement specified in the order. Further details about the procurement allegations, any formal inquiry and possible subsequent administrative action were not included in the available information. The government’s transfer order confirms the change in responsibilities but, by itself, does not resolve the allegations or establish the outcome of the matter.

Also Read: Rekha Gupta Announces ₹13,000-Crore Infrastructure And Welfare Drive Starting September 17