Key reshuffle in Marathwada: Gowda takes charge as Sambhajinagar collector; Jalna gets full-time civic chief

Chhatrapati Sambhajingar: Vinay Gowda G.C took charge as the new district collector on Friday, replacing Deelip Swami.The state govt carried out a reshuffle of IAS officers, triggering key administrative changes across Marathwada region, including Sambhajinagar, Jalna and Latur.The transfer list, issued on April 2, saw Gowda (IAS, 2015 batch) moved from Chandrapur to head the Sambhajinagar district administration. Incumbent collector Deelip Swami (IAS, 2011) has been posted as managing director of Maharashtra State Seeds Corporation in Akola.G. Sreekanth (IAS, 2009), municipal commissioner, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation, has been transferred as chief executive officer of Jal Jeevan Mission in Navi Mumbai. However, district guardian minister Sanjay Shirsat and OBC welfare minister Atul Save said they would seek an extension of Sreekanth's tenure from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, citing the need for continuity to complete the parallel water pipeline project.Kolhapur collector Amol Yedge (IAS, 2014) has been posted as the new municipal commissioner of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation. However, Yedge did not reach Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to take charge on Friday.The reshuffle also addressed a long-pending administrative gap in Jalna. The municipal corporation there has finally got a full-time commissioner with Anjali Sharma (IAS, 2022) appointed to the post. The civic body had been functioning without a regular chief since Oct 16, 2025, when then commissioner Santosh Khandekar was arrested by the ACB while allegedly accepting a Rs10 lakh bribe from a contractor. Since then, the additional charge was being handled by Jalna collector Ashima Mittal.In another key posting, Minnu P.M. (IAS, 2021), who was serving as chief executive officer of Zilla Parishad Jalna, has been transferred and took charge as CEO of Zilla Parishad Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Friday. She replaced Ankit (IAS, 2019), who has been transferred and posted as additional municipal commissioner at Nagpur Municipal Corporation. Meanwhile, Krishnakant Kanwaria (IAS, 2022) has been appointed as CEO of Zilla Parishad Jalna.Latur district will also see a change in leadership, with Bharat Bastewad (IAS, 2013) appointed as the new collector. Outgoing collector Varsha Thakur-Ghuge (IAS, 2011) has been moved to Mumbai as joint chief executive officer of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation.The late-night reshuffle is expected to impact key ongoing infrastructure and governance projects across Marathwada, particularly in Sambhajinagar and Jalna, where continuity in civic administration has been a concern in recent months.