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Tukaram Mundhe removed from Navi Mumbai civic chief post
Mundhe was transferred in less than a year of being appointed to the post and has not been assigned a new post yet.
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Giving up to the pressure, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis decided to transfer Navi Mumbai municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, who was appointed to the post in April 2016, on Friday. Ramaswami M, Inspector General of Registration and Controller of Stamp, Pune will replace him as the new municipal commissioner of the satellite city.
Mundhe was transferred in less than a year of being appointed to the post and has not been assigned a new post yet.
The chief minister was under tremendous pressure, from ally Shiv Sena too, to remove Mundhe, source said. NMMC corporators who passed the no-confidence motion alleged that the bureaucrat disrespects elected representatives and acts arbitrarily.
The decision came when it was assumed that Mundhe will remain at the position for next few months at least after Fadnavis had overturned a no-confidence motion passed by the corporators’ body against him in November last year by using special powers under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act. CM had said he is an efficient officer and Navi Mumbai needs him.
Sources said Mundhe’s transfer was one of the main demands made by Sena ministers when they led a delegation to the chief minister few days back.
In normal circumstances, an official has to complete three years on a post, according to transfer rules.
Mundhe’s work in the corporation, especially regarding illegal construction and corruption in the civic body, has won him applauds from Navi Mumbai residents ever since he took charge. Residents and activists have firmly stood by him alleging that politicians are pursuing their vested interests, with ‘Support Mundhe’ messages going viral on social media.
Mundhe, an IAS officer of the 2005 batch, has a reputation of being an honest and upright officer. He had faced similar instances of politicians ganging up against him during his tenure in Nagpur and Solapur districts.
Apart from Mundhe, Suhas Diwase has been posted as collector of Bhandara district. He will replace Abhijeet Chaudhary, who has now been appointed as municipal commissioner of Kolhapur Municipal Corporation.
Mukesh Khulkar, principal secretary, general administration department, said, “The transfer order is being issued and the officers will have to take charge once they receive it.”
