Friday jolt: Govt shifts 19 babus

In a major bureaucratic reshuffle the government of Maharashtra has transferred 19 IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officers on Friday.   

Anil Diggikar, additional commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will now work in Mantralaya as a secretary of agriculture, animal and dairy department. In another important transfer, Maharashtra Housing & Area Development Authority (Mhada) vice-president Gautam Chatarjee will now work as a principal secretary, Housing.

However, despite the reshuffle, some important posts have still been left vacant, leading to many raised eyebrows in the bureaucracy. “It has been two months and the City Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) is without a managing director. But there seems to have been no effort in looking into this vacancy,” pointed out a bureaucrat, who requested anonymity.

“Mhada is a critical housing authority and it will remain headless with Chaterjee’s transfer.” 

Secretary, medical education, Bhushan Gagrani who was away on a study leave, has come back to be associated with health again. He will now be secretary, Public Health Department. 

Another senior officer who heads a semi-government organisation said that there could have been more reshuffling to fill up some charges since as many as four senior bureaucrats are on the verge of retirement. “Unless they have already worked out extensions for themselves which will be made public at that juncture,” he chuckled.  

Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) which was headless for over three months will finally get a managing director. Bipin Shrimali, who was secretary to the deputy chief minister, will now take charge.

Among other transfers include JK Banthia, principal secretary, Public Health Department, who has been made principal secretary, Public Health Department; MM Adtani, chairman and MD, Maharashtra State Warehouses Corporation, Pune, will come to Mumbai as additional commissioner, BMC; Vijay Nahata, commissioner, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) will take over as joint-secretary in the  Public Health Department, while Ana Dani, upper chief secretary, employment and Self-employment will now be upper chief secretary and special executive officer (Appeals), Revenue & Forest Department;
Bhaskar Wankhede who is MD, Mahatma Phule Backward Class Development Corporation, will now be civic chief of NMMC; Sitaram Kunte, secretary, Housing, has been made secretary, Revenue & Forest department and Prakash Mahajan, special executive officer, ZP, Ahmednagar, will also move to Mumbai
as additional commissioner (Encroachments), Western suburbs.