Mahesh Zagade transferred at his own request: Devendra Fadnavis

In a major twist to the controversy over the shunting out of transport commissioner Mahesh Zagade, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the bureaucrat had himself sought a transfer to the newly-formed Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA).

Zagade, who had shot into public consciousness during his stint as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner when he took on the pharma lobby and cracked down on errant chemists, was transferred out as the transport commissioner just eight months into the posting.

Incidentally, Zagade had tried to reform the murky sector by banning agents who act as a conduit between licence seekers and officials in RTOs, and cracking down on officers involved in malpractices, like allowing overloading by transport vehicles and graft.

The abrupt transfer had also raised eyebrows because Zagade and transport minister Diwakar Raote were not said to be on the same page.

"Mahesh Zagade had come to me and said as the PMRDA was being formed, he wanted to work there and make it a model in three years. At his request he was transferred," said Fadnavis.