Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 22 (IANS): The Kerala government has effected another reshuffle at the senior IPS level, appointing G. Sparjan Kumar as the new Transport Commissioner. He replaces C.H. Nagaraju, who is being moved out of the key post.
The change comes as part of a restructuring of the senior police hierarchy, with the government also upgrading the post of Transport Commissioner to a rank equivalent to Inspector General (IG), Headquarters.
Sparjan Kumar, a senior IPS officer, will now take charge of the Transport Commissionerate, which handles the administration and enforcement of the Motor Vehicles Department and plays a key role in road safety and regulation of the state’s transport sector.
The government has also created a new ex-cadre post as part of the restructuring.
The decision to make the Transport Commissioner post equivalent to the IG, Headquarters post marks a change in the status of the position within the senior police establishment.
The latest move comes amid continuing changes in the top-level IPS structure in the state.
The government has been making adjustments to senior postings to align responsibilities and administrative requirements across key departments.
Nagaraju had been heading the Transport Commissionerate before the latest order. His replacement by Sparjan Kumar marks another change at the top of an important department that has a direct interface with the public.
The Transport Commissionerate is responsible for implementing and enforcing provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act and allied rules. Its responsibilities include vehicle registration, licensing, enforcement against traffic violations, road safety measures and regulation of transport services.
The department has also been under pressure to strengthen enforcement and improve road safety as Kerala continues to record a high number of road accidents.
The government order on the reshuffle also provides for the creation of the new ex-cadre post, indicating that the latest changes involve more than a routine transfer.
The appointment of Sparjan Kumar and the elevation of the Transport Commissioner post to an IG-equivalent position are expected to bring the Transport Commissionerate under a strengthened senior-level administrative structure.
R. Nishanthini is now the new IG of Police South Zone.
The changes are part of the latest round of senior IPS-level postings in the state.
