ECI rejects state’s plea to exempt transfers of municipal commissioners

The EC had told the state on February 22 that commissioners and additional commissioners were also covered in the transfer policy. As a result, municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, additional commissioners Ashwini Bhide and P Velrasu, and Pune commissioner Vikram Kumar are due for transfer

Mumbai: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has rejected the state government’s plea to allow municipal commissioners and additional commissioners of various corporations to continue in their posts. Last week, the ECI issued a directive that all municipal commissioners and additional commissioners who completed a three-year term or were posted in their home district will be transferred.

Mumbai, India - July 21, 2023 : Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal visiting Andheri subway, at Andheri, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, July 21, 2023. (Photo by Vijay Bate/HT Photo)

The EC had told the state on February 22 that commissioners and additional commissioners were also covered in the transfer policy. As a result, municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, additional commissioners Ashwini Bhide and P Velrasu, and Pune commissioner Vikram Kumar are due for transfer.

Since chief minister Eknath Shinde did not want to transfer commissioners now, they sent a letter to ECI via the state chief electoral officer to exempt commissioners because works related to monsoon were being carried out under their supervision. Shinde had told Hindustan Times on Tuesday afternoon that these officers were in no way connected to polls.

Additional chief secretary and Maharashtra chief electoral officer Shrikant Deshpande said, “The state government had recommended exemption from transfers for municipal commissioners and additional commissioners who had completed their three-year tenure. We sent the general administration department’s request to the Election Commission but they have rejected it.”

Sources said that additional chief secretary Bhushan Gagrani who heads the CM secretariat is one of the candidates for the municipal commissioner post.

Chahal was appointed as municipal commissioner on May 8, 2020, as the then government had decided to target IAS officer Praveen Pardeshi heading BMC. Chahal projected himself as a top COVID warrior. The Shiv Sena leaders of the MVA government had told Chahal not to take instructions from Eknath Shinde who was then UD minister, but after the change of government, he was retained as civic chief. Off late, he was a target of Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray. Chahal is an IAS officer of the 1989 batch.

Bhide was appointed in the BMC on May 9, 2020, and was later transferred as managing director of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation. But she continued to hold charge as AMC of Mumbai Eastern Suburbs. She is an IAS officer of the 1995 batch and is of principal secretary rank.

P Velrasu was the additional municipal commissioner in charge of projects in the BMC. He is an IAS officer of the 2002 batch and was posted in BMC on January 17, 2020.

In the Pune Municipal Corporation, Commissioner Vikram Kumar was appointed on July 12, 2020, and played a crucial role in tackling COVID. He will also be due for transfer.

Akola Municipal Commissioner Kavita Dwivedi was posted on September 3, 2020. She was overdue and she was posted as additional commissioner of the Pune division last week.