Why are key bureaucratic positions in Maharashtra vacant?

Vacancies in crucial state government departments led by IAS officers may impact policy making. Additional portfolios are being assigned to officers

MUMBAI: Many vacancies in crucial departments of the state government – headed by IAS officers – are likely to impact policy making and their daily functioning in the near future. As the government is getting by giving additional portfolios to officers, a senior IAS officer in Mantralaya said, “While officers can hold additional charges, it would leave them little time to work on policies and deliver sound administration. More importantly, this is happening at a time when six IAS officers are waiting for postings.”

The state secretariat. (HT PHOTO)

Consider this: Sujata Saunik took over as chief secretary on June 30 this year, but continues to hold the positions of additional chief secretary (home) and ACS (reforms), her previous portfolios.

Sources in bureaucratic circles have said that names proposed by chief minister Eknath Shinde for ACS (home) – the department that governs police -- are not acceptable to deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who is also home minister. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking out IAS officers from the 1992 batch for the post, but IPS officers feel since DGP Rashmi Shukla is from the 1988 batch and the commissioner of police Vivek Phansalkar from 1989 batch, it would not go down well in the department if a junior IAS officer is selected for the position.

Meanwhile, the political leadership does not have much time to keep its decision on hold as the Election Commission (EC) will insist on a home secretary once code of conduct is enforced for the assembly elections; most likely by September. Police force plays an important role in elections.

On the other hand, when ACS in-charge of the general administration department (GAD) Nitin Gadre took voluntary retirement last week to join Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal, additional charge of the department was passed on to ACS (planning) Rajgopal Devara. As head of the administration, all transfers were routed through Gadre.

The post of principal secretary, water conservation department, is also lying vacant after Eknath Davale was transferred to rural development department, recently. Likewise, when secretary of social justice department Sumant Bhange retired last week, IAS officer Vijay Waghmare, secretary of tribal welfare department, was given the additional charge. He also has the additional charge of the department for the handicapped.

Apart from social justice, Bhange was also secretary of backward class cell in the general administration. No appointments have been made to head this department, and the government has roped in IAS officer Ganesh Patil, heading the skill development department, to take additional charge. The backward class cell of the GAD plays an important role at a time when politics around the reservation for Marathas has encompassed the state.

A few weeks ago, secretary of animal husbandry and dairy development Tukaram Mundhe was abruptly removed from the position and made commissioner of unorganised labour, when he opposed government’s plans to give away a part of dairy department land to an industrial house and others. After his exit, additional chief secretary (revenue) Rajesh Kumar was asked to step in to take on the additional portfolio.

The post of additional chief secretary (protocol) has been vacant for many months, now overseen by ACS (public works) Manisha Mhaiskar. Mhaiskar is also in-charge of the department of Marathi language.

Similarly, principal secretary of labour department, Vineeta Ved, has been given the additional charge to head the Other Backward Class (OBC) department, which is curious as BJP is looking at this community as potential vote bank in the forthcoming state elections.

Also, as no one has taken the place of Radhika Rastogi when she exited as secretary of tourism department after a transfer to home department (appeals and security), Jayashree Bhoj, in-charge of jails, has been given the additional charge.