Experienced IAS officer expected to bring fresh momentum to urban development and civic service delivery across Chhattisgarh
TFP Bureau, Raipur, August 19, 2026: Senior IAS officer Sonmoni Borah (1999 batch) assumed charge as Principal Secretary of the Urban Administration and Development Department of the Chhattisgarh Government on Wednesday.
Borah was appointed to the post through an order issued by the General Administration Department on August 18. Prior to his new assignment, he was serving as Principal Secretary of the Tribal Development Department, Scheduled Caste Development Department, and Backward Classes and Minorities Development Department. He also holds additional charge of the Science and Technology Department.
After taking charge, Borah reviewed the department’s ongoing schemes, programmes and activities and sought information from senior officials on various initiatives.
He was welcomed and briefed by Director Remijius Ekka, SUDA CEO Sumeet Agrawal, Deputy Secretary Bhagwat Jaiswal, Additional Director Pulak Bhattacharya, Chief Engineer Rajesh Sharma, Joint Director Mithilesh Awasthi, Deputy Director Arun Sahu, SUDA Deputy CEO Sunil Agrahari and Superintending Engineer Ramesh Singh, among others.
Extensive experience in urban development
Borah brings considerable experience in urban administration and development to his new assignment. Following the formation of Chhattisgarh, he played an important role in the development of Raipur as the state capital.
He has served as Commissioner and CEO of the Raipur Municipal Corporation, Raipur Development Authority (RDA) and Bilaspur Development Authority (BDA). During his various assignments, he was involved in urban development initiatives in Raipur and Bilaspur as well as in districts including Kawardha, Janjgir-Champa and Mungeli.
Several civic initiatives were undertaken during his tenure, including the Safai Mitra Yojana, rejuvenation and restoration of Budhatalab and other water bodies, and development of a designated idol immersion facility at Mahadev Ghat in Raipur.
His tenure also saw efforts to improve urban schools, digitise birth and death registration in the Raipur Municipal Corporation and shift accounting processes from manual systems to software-based operations. The introduction of preventive maintenance practices for Operation and Maintenance activities was another key initiative.
Focus on public-centric schemes
The Urban Administration and Development Department is responsible for delivering basic civic amenities through urban local bodies and implementing a range of urban development programmes across the state.
After assuming charge, Borah interacted with departmental officials and emphasised that schemes and programmes directly connected with citizens should remain a priority. He also stressed the importance of ensuring effective delivery of basic amenities and improving coordination in the implementation of urban development initiatives.
His appointment is expected to provide further momentum to the department’s efforts towards improving civic services, urban infrastructure and overall development of cities and towns across Chhattisgarh.
