The Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) has directed the state’s Medical Education and Drugs(MED) Department to reconsider its transfer order of V.V. Vedpathak, an Assistant Commissioner of Food and Drugs, after the department, failed to consider Vedpathak’s plea on humanitarian grounds. The Tribunal in its orders, observed that the department’s decision has failed to account for the official’s role as a caregiver to his severely disabled son.
Vedpathak in his application urged the tribunal to quash or modify the order on humanitarian grounds.
The application filed by Vedpathak reads that his only son has been in a vegetative state “He is suffering a traumatic road accident on August 19, 2022, resulting in multiple disabilities, including intellectual impairment, speech and vision loss, muscular dystrophy, and mental illness. A formal application for a disability certificate was submitted just a day prior to the hearing, on May 26, 2025,” the application read.
”As defined under Section 2(d) of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016, and that transferring him further from his current posting would only intensify his hardship. A specific representation had also been made on May 15, 2025, to the Food and Drugs Commissioner requesting retention at the Thane posting, citing personal grounds and legal rights under the RPWD Act," the advocate appearing on behalf of Vedpathak argued.
“The applicant’s case deserved greater empathy,” noted MAT Member Debashish Chakraborty.
The tribunal, in its orders thus have set aside the transfer order concerning Zone 4 Thane until the applicant’s case is decided. The tribunal also directed the Principal Secretary of the MED, Department to reassess the situation within ten days, thereby adjourning the matter for to expedite the formulation of a state-level policy on transfers involving caregivers under the RPWD Act. The matter is adjourned for further hearing on June 12, 2025.
