Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has dashed off a letter to the Centre seeking another three months extension for chief secretary Ajoy Mehta, whose six month extension granted during the BJP-led government ends in March.
Mehta, an IAS of 1984 batch, was appointed as the state chief secretary by the BJP-led government on May 10 last year. He was to retire on September 30, but the previous Fadnavis government gave him six months extension up to March 2020 in view of the assembly election.
A Maha Vikas Aghadi minister told FPJ, "The state government has recently sent a letter to the Department of Personnel and Training seeking three months extension for Mehta. So far, there is no communication. If the state government does not get any communication until March 31, he will superannuate on the same day.'' However, the minister said if the Centre agrees, he will continue for another three months.
If Mehta fails to get an extension, then additional chief secretary (services) Sitaram Kunte, BrihanMumbai Municipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi and additional chief secretary (home) Sanjay Kumar will be the three front runners. While Kumar is 1984 batch, both Kunte and Pardeshi belong to 1985 batch.
Kunte had been the BMC commissioner in the Shiv Sena-ruled civic body, while Pardeshi, before his appointment as the BMC commissioner, was the additional chief secretary in the Chief Minister's Office during the BJP-led government.
