73 IAS officers transferred for conflict with ministers

In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, the state government has transferred 73 IAS officers, including all three officers from the finance department. It is being said that many officers who were transferred had conflicts with ministers from respective departments.

In the finance department, Sudhir Shrivastav, Sitaram Kunte and Bijay Kumar were transferred to transport, higher and technical education department and agriculture and dairy development respectively. Shrivastav and Kumar were criticised for questioning fund allocation requested by ministers.

Another officer from environment department, Malini Shankar, has been transferred to relief and rehabilitation department after having differences with environment minister Ramdas Kadam. Food and civil supplies secretary Deepak Kapoor who did not have a good rapport with his department minister Girish Bapat has been transferred to skill development department.

The transfers were put into effect keeping in mind the demands of ministers, an official said, adding the conflict between them was causing inefficiency in the department’s work. The government is ready with another list of transfers involving at least 15-20 IAS officers in the next week, the senior official said.

Interestingly, Ashish Singh, who was former CM Prithviraj Chavan’s secretary has been given public works department. Earlier, the BJP-led government had transferred almost all the officers who served in the previous government at key positions.

The CM’s secretary Praveen Darade has been elevated as additional metropolitan commissioner from the Chief Minister’s Office.

According to a government notification issued on Wednesday, Mr Darade, who was secretary in the CMO, has been transferred as the additional metropolitan commissioner in MMRDA. Also, additional chief secretary D.K. Jain has been transferred to the finance department. Other transfers include that of Ujjwal Uke, who was in the Social Justice department and has been transferred as Principal Secretary (Textile), co-operative, marketing and textile department. He has been replaced by S.K. Bagade. Mukesh Khullar has been transferred as the principal secretary (services) in general administration department (GAD), Mahesh Pathak as principal secretary, food and civil supplies, K.H. Govindraj as commissioner, Nashik, Upamanyu Chatterjee as principal secretary, rest of Maharashtra statutory development board.