Shortage of IAS officers hits upcoming bureaucrat reshuffle in Maharashtra

The state government is contemplating shuffling top bureaucrats in key departments to ensure more accountability and transparency in its functioning. But chief minister Prithviraj Chavan is undecided whether to start the changes from the top right away or just fill up the vacancies. Also, a shortage of IAS officers seems to be limiting the choice.

“There is a debate whether the government should shift chief secretary JP Dange immediately to pave the way for the appointment of MMRDA chief Ratnakar Gaikwad in his place or delay it till May 2011, when he retires,” highly placed sources in Mantralaya told DNA. A few months ago, there were talks of Dange willing to forego his post provided he was appointed as chief information commissioner, which would ensure him a full five-year term.

On his part, Dange appears to have reassured the government that he would take the responsibility of talking hard to babus involved in various scams. He has already started the process by seeking explanation from some bureaucrats for registering flats in Adarsh housing society either in their names or in the names of their children.

The government’s immediate concern is to get a senior officer in the revenue ministry, which is currently held as an additional charge by principal secretary for forest Sitaram Kunte. The contenders for the post are senior IAS officers Subodh Kumar and Ratnakar Gaikwad. Rajeev Aggarwal, another senior officer who was in Delhi on deputation, is also likely to return to the state by March 2011.

In the wake of shortage of IAS officers in the state, the general administration department had last month urged the officials on deputation to reconsider returning to state.

BMC commissioner Swadhin Kshatriya is likely to be relieved of his current posting. Sources said, “Kshatriya is keen on going on deputation to Delhi.” The decision to appoint Ashish Kumar Singh as secretary in chief minister office (CMO) was at the cost of pulling him out of the role of the additional municipal commissioner. There are chances that secretary Bhushan Gagarani (public health) would be elevated to the CMO.

A senior cabinet minister (NCP) said, “Any changes effected in the departments held by the NCP ministers will primarily require their consent to ensure smooth functioning. The chief minister cannot undertake the exercise in isolation. As per rules, it is not mandatory to seek the ally’s consent but some postings are so significant that alliance cannot be antagonised.”

Not surprisingly, the appointment of Umeshchandra Sarangi as additional chief secretary (home) had the consent from the home minister RR Patil.