Non-IAS officers made heads of civic bodies; did Maharashtra govt flout norms ?

Despite the Central government’s diktat to appoint IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officers to head all municipal corporations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the Maharashtra government recently transferred IAS officers heading the civic bodies in haste and replaced them with non-IAS officers

Despite the Central government’s diktat to appoint IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officers to head all municipal corporations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the Maharashtra government recently transferred IAS officers heading the civic bodies in haste and replaced them with non-IAS officers. The appointments are believably political and done overruling the set norms.

The Maharashtra government recently transferred IAS officers heading the civic bodies in haste and replaced them with non-IAS officers. (HT FILE)

Incumbent Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation’s (MBMC) commissioner Dilip Dhole was personal secretary to Eknath Shinde, who heads the state urban development department (UDD), which appoints officers for smaller civic bodies. Similarly, the commissioners to Bhiwandi and Panvel municipal corporations are also headed by non-IAS officers.

Shinde said, “The decision on appointments is taken as per the availability of officers. Non-IAS officers are appointed with permission from CM. We cant keep the posts vacant for want of officers.”

Former Mira-Bhayander corporator Sanjay Pange has complained to Governor BS Koshyari, claiming that he was misguided by the government as the appointment order was issued in the latter’s name.

The department of personnel and training (DoPT), by issuing a notification on June 15, 2018, added D-class municipal corporations in the list of civic bodies which should be mandatorily headed by an IAS officer. Six of the nine corporations (Mira-Bhayander, Vasai-Virar, Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Kalyan-Dombivli and Panvel) in MMR were in the list, while the remaining three (Mumbai, Thane and Navi-Mumbai) are already in DoPT’s list that mandates the state to appoint IAS officers to head these civic bodies. In case of non-availability of an IAS officer, the state can appoint a non-IAS but not for a period of more than three months.

Dattatray Bharane, minister of state for general administration department (GAD), said, “Our endeavour has always been to appoint an IAS officer to head municipal corporations but a shortage of officers has compelled us to appoint junior officers. The appointment on these civic bodies could be temporary. I will take up this up with the chief minister.”

Mahesh Pathak, principal secretary, UDD, said, “The DoPT notification is followed in case of availability of IAS officers. We have 17 D-class corporations and find it difficult to appoint IAS officers to head them. We face similar problems with other corporations such as Akola and Amravati, among others. We had approached GAD for the appointment of an IAS officer to head MBMC.”

In a reply to an RTI (Right to Information) query by Pange, GAD, however, stated that UDD did not approach them for the appointment of commissioners to Mira-Bhayander, Bhiwandi-Nizampur and Panvel civic bodies.

“We have neither received any proposal from UDD, nor have we given them permission [for appointment],” the reply from GAD reads.

An official from GAD said, “The appointment of the incumbent commissioner of MBMC is completely political as he was the UDD minister’s personal assistant. The minister’s incumbent personal secretary was Mira-Bhayander commissioner till last February. Not only DoPT’s order, but even the state government’s rules are not being followed as Dhole does not belong to the chief officer’s cadre, which heads nagar panchayats. If UDD claims that there was a shortage of IAS officers, why were the two IAS officers – Chandrakant Dange (February to June 2020) and Vijay Rathod (June 2020 to March 2021) – kept without a posting for four and three months, respectively, after their transfer from Mira-Bhayander civic body. During Covid-19, IAS officers with MBBS degrees were appointed to corporations, including Mira-Bhayander and Bhiwandi-Nizampur. Why were they transferred when Covid-19 was at its peak during the second wave?”

Pange said, “The order issued by UDD was in the Governor’s name. I had written to him seeking action as he has been misguided by the government that did not follow the norms. I have demanded action against the officials involved. The mandate of appointing IAS officers is made to ensure proper management of these emerging cities, which are currently in bad shape.”