Saunik Vs Saunik: Who will be the next chief secretary?

Mumbai: In a first in the history of state administration, an IAS couple is in the race for the top bureaucratic post

Mumbai: In a first in the history of state administration, an IAS couple is in the race for the top bureaucratic post. One of the two from the 1987 batch -- Manoj Saunik or Sujata Saunik – is likely to step into the shoes of Manukumar Srivastava, the chief secretary of the state, when his tenure ends on April 30. Another strong contender is additional chief secretary (revenue) Nitin Kareer.

A retired bureaucrat mulled on the issue and said, “The government can keep all contenders in the race happy by appointing Manoj now, followed by Kareer, who retires in March 2024, and then pass the baton to Sujata who can remain in office till the middle of 2025.” (HT PHOTO)

Srivastava, who has been the chief secretary for over a year, is likely to become the next chief information commissioner (CIC). A meeting on this will be held today and the appointment announced soon.

The Sauniks met at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy, Mussourie, while on training.

Manoj Saunik, an additional chief secretary of two important departments, public works department and finance, is known for taking quick decisions. Sujata Saunik, additional chief secretary in charge of administrative reforms in the general administration department, has garnered praise for putting systems in place and bringing transparency in operations.

If Sujata Saunik is appointed, she will be the first woman in the state to be elevated to the coveted position. Earlier, around 2009, when Ashok Chavan was the chief minister, Chandra Iyengar had narrowly missed the post.

Manoj began his career as a sub-editor with Kolkata headquartered ‘The Telegraph’ newspaper but eventually switched vocations. He retires from services in December 2023 and his wife in June 2025. Both are known as workaholics within the fraternity and are voracious readers. Manoj continues to devour op-eds in newspapers – the mandatory routine of the past has translated to a delightful hobby.

Sujata Saunik is from Haryana while her husband hails from Bihar. Their northern Maharashtra postings ensured seamless family time – in the past Manoj was a collector for Nashik and Dhule districts, while Sujata held a similar position in Jalgaon. Their assignments with United Nations led them to Yugoslavia for six years and one in Cambodia.

Whispers in the corridors of Mantralaya suggest that Manoj Saunik is the favourite of both chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for his ability to think on his feet. On the other hand, if the government decides to give the state its first woman chief secretary, Sujata may pip her husband to the post.

A retired bureaucrat mulled on the issue and said, “The government can keep all contenders in the race happy by appointing Manoj now, followed by Kareer, who retires in March 2024, and then pass the baton to Sujata who can remain in office till the middle of 2025.”