Amid growing speculation of a potential change in the state government, several high-ranking officers serving in the offices of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar are on their way out. On Monday, transfer orders for 10 senior-level officers assigned to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) were issued, following the earlier transfer orders of two senior officers from the DyCM's office a few days ago.
The officers working at the CMO were handling crucial responsibilities in the posts of the Joint Secretary, Deputy Secretary and Under Secretary. These officers include Kailas Bilonikar, Sachin Sahasrabuddhe, Chandrashekhar Tarange, Manojkumar Mahale, Sudhir Shastri, Dheeraj Abhang, Nilesh Potdar, Parveen Patil and Vrushali Chawathe.
Although Venkatesh Bhatt's transfer order shows him being moved to the position of Joint Secretary in the State Industries, Labour, and Energy Department from the Home Department, it is still unclear if he has been transferred from the CMO. Bhatt has been holding dual crucial roles, one in the CMO and the other in the Home Department. Bhatt has been officially holding two crucial postings - one in the CMO and the other one in the Home department.
Mangesh Shinde, who is posted as the Private Secretary to School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar, has been transferred to the School Education and Sports Department at Mantralaya.
Two senior officers Hanmant Patil and Sachin Yadav posted in Deputy CM Ajit Pawar have been transferred to other departments.
It is said that many officers who are working as private secretaries, officers on special duty (OSD) with ministers are on their way out and their orders were in the process.
Postings at the CMO, DyCMO and ministers offices are always considered as lucrative ones and it invites huge backroom lobbying. No officer wants himself to be out of these offices but whenever a change in the state government becomes imminent these officers opt out before elections to avoid any backlash or controversies, said an officer in Mantralaya.
