Chandigarh MC gets two new joint commissioners: Avikesh Gupta and Gaurav Kumar take charge

Two senior officers have taken charge at the Municipal Corporation (MC) Chandigarh. PCS officer Avikesh Gupta and HCS officer Gaurav Kumar joined the civic body on Tuesday, October 27.

Gupta, a 2014-batch Punjab Civil Services officer, is the new Joint Commissioner. Kumar, a 2011-batch Haryana Civil Service officer, will serve as Joint Commissioner and Secretary, MC.

The two joinings follow last week’s reshuffle by the UT Administration. Charges of 11 officers were reassigned after new officers came on deputation from Haryana and the DANICS cadre. 

Under the order issued by Chief Secretary H Rajesh Prasad, Kumar will also be Director, Rural Development and Panchayats, and Additional CEO of Chandigarh Smart City Limited. Gupta will also hold the charge of Director, Information Technology.

Avikesh Gupta: from city buses to civic body

Gupta is not new to the Chandigarh Administration. Before moving to the MC, he was Director Transport-cum-Divisional Manager of the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU). He ran a fleet of more than 650 buses. In May, he was with UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria when 40 new interstate CTU buses were flagged off. He has now handed over the transport charge to HCS officer Pradeep Ahlawat.

In Punjab, Gupta was Additional Deputy Commissioner (General), Rupnagar. When he took over there in December 2025, he said solving urban problems would be his priority, including clean drinking water and a permanent fix for sewage issues. Those same issues now sit on his desk in Chandigarh.

He has also served as Secretary, Punjab School Education Board, and as SDM Sangrur.

Gaurav Kumar: Long municipal experience in Haryana

Kumar comes from Rohtak. Just before his deputation, he was Secretary, State Election Commission, Haryana, a post he took up in December 2025. Earlier, he served as Additional Director (Administration), Secondary Education, and Joint Secretary, School Education Department.

He brings strong civic body experience. He has served as Joint Commissioner, MC Gurugram; Additional Commissioner, MC Karnal; and Joint Commissioner, MC Panipat, along with SDM Gharaunda.

He has also worked in rural administration as CEO, Zila Parishad and DRDA, Karnal, and as SDM Karnal. That experience fits his extra charge of rural development and panchayats in the UT.

The Haryana government placed Kumar’s services at the disposal of the Chandigarh Administration last week, along with 2013-batch HCS officer Pradeep Ahlawat.