MUMBAI: Additional Chief Secretary of the state finance department D K Jain took charge as the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra on Monday.
The outgoing Chief Secretary Sumit Mullik, who retired today, would soon be taking over charge as the Chief information commissioner of the state.
Jain belongs to 1983 batch of IAS officers. He would retire on January 31, 2019. Known as an upright and non-corrupt officer, Jain was said to be the obvious choice of the government. In Jain’s appointment the government has set aside seniority of at least two senior bureaucrats, the sources have said and added that the appointment is likely to be challenged in the court.
Additional Chief Secretary for relief and rehabilitation, in the revenue department Medha Gadgil and Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sudhir Shrivastava are the two senior bureaucrats whose seniority on the basis of their performance is set aside in appointment of Jain.
While Shrivastav is scheduled to retire in October this year, Gadgil’s term is till August 2019. However, a senior minister told the New Indian Express that while the government didn’t consider Gadgil for the post as her husband Anant Gadgil is MLC and spokesperson off the Congress, Shrivastav missed the chance due to his differences with a senior minister in the Fadnavis government.
Additional Chief Secretary (Industries) Sunil Porwal and Additional Chief Secretary and Metropolitan commissioner UPS Madan are the other bureaucrats from the same 1983 batch. Madan, who has successfully handled the infrastructure development in Mumbai Metropolitan Area, is likely replace Jain as ACS (Finance).
Apart from that Chiefs of City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) that is currently developing the Navi Mumbai International Airport and the Commissioner of BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) too are likely to be changed as part of the reshuffle that would follow Jain’s appointment.