IAS officer behind Varanasi’s revival shifted to Delhi, may join CM Rekha Gupta’s office

New Delhi, May 6 Kaushal Raj Sharma, a 2006-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer credited with Varanasi’s beautification and urban rejuvenation, has been transferred to Delhi amid speculation of getting a key post in Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s office, said an official source on Tuesday.

The officer who has been in the good books of the Prime Minister’s Office, due to his work in PM’s parliamentary constituency, is said to have been hand-picked by decision-makers to steer ambitious projects like the development of the Yamuna river front, said sources.

The 2006-batch officer, who had only recently taken charge as Secretary to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has been sent on deputation to Delhi for three years, according to a circular signed by Anshuman Mishra, Under Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training.

Sharma, who was both the District Magistrate and Commissioner in PM Modi's Varanasi constituency, is credited with executing urban infrastructure and beautification projects efficiently.

Ten days ago, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath transferred Sharma from Varanasi to Lucknow and made him his secretary.

But Sharma’s stay in Lucknow has been short, with the order on his transfer to Delhi being issued on Tuesday, said an official.

Sharma has been called to the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre on deputation.

Sharma was given the responsibility of District Magistrate and sent to Varanasi parliamentary constituency soon after the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2017.

Sharma oversaw Varanasi’s revamp from 2019 to April 22, 2025. In these six years, he made a significant contribution to beautifying PM Modi's parliamentary constituency.

His work on PM Modi's dream project - Kashi Vishwanath Corridor - had won praise as it was not an easy task to convince more than 300 families to allow demolition of their homes for the corridor’s reconstruction.

Sharma’s personal monitoring of the project had led to the timely completion of the corridor, without any controversy.

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