MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday strongly reacted to allegations that ministers in his government were being deprived of the right to appoint their personal assistants and officers on special duty (OSDs). He firmly stated that the chief minister has the final authority to approve these appointments.
“The appointment of personal assistants and office staff of ministers has always been the prerogative of the chief minister. Mr Kokate may not be aware that it is very much the CM’s right to clear the proposals for these appointments. I, as the CM, am the final authority over these decisions. This is not new; it has been the practice for years,” CM Fadnavis clarified.
His statement came in response to remarks by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) minister Manikrao Kokate, who alleged that in the Mahayuti government, ministers did not even have the right to select their own staff, as these appointments were being controlled by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) and the General Administration Department.
Fadnavis emphasised that ministers were allowed to submit proposals for the appointment of their personal staff, but the final decision would rest with the CMO.
“In the cabinet meeting, I categorically told my colleagues that they could submit their proposals, but the CMO would make the final decision,” he said.
He further explained that the government had taken a conscious decision to reject candidates with a history of corruption or political fixers.
“This time, we have decided not to appoint any PA or officer staffers who are known as fixers and infamous for indulging in corruption. We do not want such people in our administration, so a conscious decision was taken. Out of 125 proposed names, 109 have been approved, and the remaining will be cleared soon,” he clarified.
Kokate, who has been at the centre of controversies before, stirred a fresh debate by highlighting the limitations faced by ministers under the Mahayuti government and the control exercised by the CMO. He also revealed that Fadnavis had warned ministers against any wrongdoing and had set a 100-day programme for implementation.
“CM Fadnavis has also warned us that if we do anything wrong, strict action will be taken. A 100-day programme has also been given to implement it,” Kokate said.