Bengaluru: IAS officer Rajkumar Khatri was appointed as the new commissioner of Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) on Tuesday. He has replaced Sham Bhatt, who was transferred to the post of principal secretary, Co-operation Department.

While there are speculations around the transfer that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah transferred Bhatt following the controversies surrounding the officer, sources said that Bhatt’s transfer from the BDA was pending for long as he had served in office for nearly three and a half years.

Sham Bhatt, who is being considered for the post of Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) chairman, is yet to be finalized for the post after Governor Vajubhai Vala raised concerns as there are several charges against Bhatt.
 
Rajkumar Khatri was earlier serving as the principal secretary, Tourism Department. Official sources said that Khatri was brought into the picture as the State government wanted a dynamic officer to handle BDA.