The Punjab Government transferred eight IAS and 88 PCS officers on Friday.The IAS officers have been posted as Additional Deputy Commissioners (ADCs) and Additional Chief Executive Officers, while the PCS officers have been appointed as Sub Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) and posted in the Transport and Local Government departments.Charumitra, who was suspended a few months ago, has been posted as Joint Secretary in the Local Government department.Officers posted in the Chief Minister’s Field Offices at Ferozepur, Moga, Gurdaspur, Mohali, Jalandhar and Pathankot were also transferred. Aditya Gupta has been posted at Jalandhar and Karanvir Singh at Tarn Taran.Forty-nine sub-divisions have got new SDMs. A number of officers had either completed around three years at their places of posting or were serving in their home districts.Since SDMs function as returning officers during elections, the transfers are seen as part of preparations for the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha elections.Among IAS postings, Rajdeep Singh Brar has been appointed ADC Bathinda, Rubinderjit Singh Brar as Additional Secretary, Local Government, Divya P as ADC Jalandhar, Vivek Kumar Modi as ADC Barnala, Krishna Pal Rajpoot as ADC Ferozepur, Davy Goyal as ADC Muktsar, Kritika Goyal as SDM Mehal Kalan and Rakesh Kumar Meena as Joint Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Bathinda.