The long-standing convention of appointing a Punjab cadre IAS officer as General Manager of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) Punjab Region has formally ended, with the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) clearing the appointment of Nikita Pawar (IAS:2012:AGMUT) to the post.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Friday (January 30, 2026), the ACC has approved the appointment of Pawar as General Manager (Region) (Director-level) of the FCI Punjab Region, headquartered in Chandigarh, on deputation basis under the Department of Food and Public Distribution. She has been appointed for a tenure of three years from the date she assumes charge, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The appointment follows the completion of the three-year tenure of B Srinivasan (IAS:2011:PB), who served as General Manager of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) Punjab Region until December 31, 2025. Following his exit, Haryana cadre IAS officer Sharandeep Kaur Brar (IAS:2009:HY) has been holding interim charge of the post.
This marks the first time since the creation of the FCI in 1965 that a non-Punjab cadre IAS officer has been appointed as the regular General Manager of the Punjab Region. Until now, all regular incumbents to the post had belonged to the Punjab cadre.
Pawar has been appointed on a lateral shift basis and has been directed to be relieved of her present duties immediately to enable her to take charge of the new assignment. She is currently serving as Deputy Financial Adviser (BSF) in the Ministry of Home Affairs and is posted in Chandigarh.
The appointment comes amid sustained objections from the Punjab government. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had earlier written to Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi, opposing the proposed posting of an AGMUT cadre officer. Mann had argued that the Punjab Region’s central role in national food grain procurement required an officer with deep familiarity with the state’s procurement ecosystem, something traditionally ensured by appointing Punjab cadre officers.
Mann had also pointed out that since the FCI’s inception, all 23 regular appointments to the GM (Punjab Region) post had been from the Punjab cadre, and that any deviation could impact coordination with farmers, arhtiyas and other stakeholders. Despite these objections and the submission of multiple panels of Punjab cadre officers by the state government, the Centre has gone ahead with the appointment.
The decision is being seen as a precedent-setting shift in cadre policy for key PSU regional leadership posts, particularly in states that play a critical role in national food security. How the change plays out on the ground, especially during procurement seasons, will be closely watched. (By- Rajeev Singh)
Also Read: FCI Punjab GM appointment faces objection from Punjab govt
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