Mumbai: In a sharp rebuke to his Cabinet colleagues, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has issued a clear directive: allocate departmental work to the Ministers of State (MoS) attached to each ministry.
About The Instructions
The instructions on Tuesday come amid growing tensions, particularly a spat between MoS Madhuri Misal and her senior, Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat. Shirsat had objected to Misal convening review meetings, prompting both to lodge complaints with the CM’s Office.
In response, Fadnavis asserted that MoS have every right to call review meetings, saying many of them are seasoned legislators and should not be sidelined. In the 42-member Cabinet, only six are MoS — Ashish Jaiswal, Madhuri Misal, Pankaj Bhoyar, Meghna Sakore Bordikar, Indraneel Naik, and Yogesh Kadam.
Despite their legislative experience, most have not been assigned clear responsibilities by their seniors. According to sources, only the CM and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar have set a precedent by properly delegating work. Fadnavis warned that withholding powers from MoS — such as conducting hearings or managing officer transfers — reflects poorly on the Cabinet.
Some ministers, sources said, have assigned work with strings attached, bypassing MoS even in routine matters by directing secretaries to handle them. Referring to controversies involving ministers like Manikrao Kokate, Shirsat, and Kadam, Fadnavis is believed to have asserted that no one is indispensable — and many aspirants are waiting in the wings.
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