Full Breakdown
Delhi Health Secretary Transferred During Rs 700-Crore Procurement Probe
By Drooid · · How we work
Transfer of the Health Secretary
On October 8, the Delhi Services Department issued an order moving IAS officer Rupesh Kumar Thakur from his role as Secretary of Health and Family Welfare to serve solely as CEO of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). The reshuffle, ordered by Lieutenant-Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, affected 34 IAS and DANICS officers across multiple departments. Prashant Goyal, a 1993-batch IAS officer, received additional charge of Health and Family Welfare and was also appointed Additional Chief Secretary (Power). The transfer order did not cite any reason for Thakur’s removal.
Background of the Procurement Investigation
The Health Department has been under scrutiny for alleged irregularities in the procurement of medicines, surgical supplies and equipment for government hospitals. An anti-corruption investigation has produced a nearly 12,000-page chargesheet alleging a Rs 700-crore scam involving the Directorate General of Health Services and the Central Procurement Agency. On September 30, the Delhi government sanctioned prosecution of three former officials, including former DGHS chief Dr Vatsala Aggarwal.
Timeline of Ministerial Actions
- May 26: Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh first requested a comprehensive procurement action plan.
- August 12: Singh described Thakur’s initial response as “wholly unsatisfactory” and demanded a revised reply detailing rates, taxes, quantities, suppliers and delivery records for items such as ORS sachets, hospital bedsheets and portable X-ray machines.
Key Personnel Changes Beyond Health
The reshuffle also appointed Awanish Kumar, a 2014-batch IAS officer, as Excise Commissioner, and reassigned Niharika Rai from the Tourism portfolio to additional charge as Chairman and Managing Director of the Delhi Transport Corporation, consolidating transport oversight. Additional appointments were made in Power, Food and Civil Supplies, Education, Social Welfare and other departments.
Official Responses and Outlook
Health Minister Singh’s communications indicate continued dissatisfaction with the department’s procurement documentation, but the October 8 order provides no explicit link to the ongoing investigation. Thakur has not been named as an accused in the anti-corruption case. The government has indicated plans to introduce a new liquor policy later this month, though no implementation date has been set.