The first major transfer of bureaucrats in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was announced on Thursday with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray approving the reshuffle.
The rejig has resulted in secretaries considered close to the previous Bhartiya Janata Party-led government being relegated to low-key positions. Special Inspector General of Police in charge of Maharashtra Cyber Cell Brijesh Singh, who is also Director General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR), was relieved of his additional responsibilities.
The new DGIPR will be 2004-batch IAS officer D.D. Pandharpatte, who is currently posted as the Collector of Sindhudurg. Mr. Singh, a native of Nagpur, was considered to be a confidant of former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Among other major changes, Pravin Darade, additional municipal commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Muniicpal Corporation, has been transferred as Commissioner (Social Welfare) in Pune. A 1998-batch IAS officer, Mr. Darade had served in the Chief Minister’s Officer as a secretary in the previous government.
Sales Tax Commissioner Rajiv Jalota has been shifted to the Rural Development and Water Conservation Department as an Additional Chief Secretary.
The current secretary of the department, Aseem Gupta, has been shifted to the Energy, Industry and Labour Department as Principal Secretary.
Other notable names in the transfer list include Principal Secretary (Textile) K.H. Govindaraj, who has been appointed as Additional Metropolitan Commissioner, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority. S.K. Tagde has been transferred from the Minority Development Department to the Marketing and Textile Department as Principal Secretary.
