Debashish Chakrabarty the new CS of Maharashtra !
People from media, please read the spelling of Debashish Chakrabarty the new CS of Maharashtra not once but read it twice, and don’t murder it as per your own understanding. This spelling of our new Chief Secretary has been taken from the official website of Government of Maharashtra. Anyways, sir congratulations for the new post; a post which you never asked, never lobbied nor told any of your friend or the Chief Minister or Sharad Pawar that you were interested in becoming the CS. Even though you retire in the coming year in February, the MVA government has given yet another strong message of appointment of the right candidate for the post. But I feel bad for Sham Lal Goyal who was senior to you but I think he hasn’t received clearance from the CVC and retires in December 2021. Then Vandana Krishna your batch-mate too could have been thought off but, but but…I think Chakrabarty ji, your that one report against Param Bir Singh did the magic and the result is for everyone to see.
Now many of us were surprised to know that Sitaram Kunte was not given an extension which was obvious since many of our ex chief secretaries have got it in the past. Then why not Kunte? What intel I could gather will try and put it here. First and foremost, it is clear that the MVA government, especially CM Uddhav Thackeray’s request to give 6 months extension to Kunte was straight away REJECTED by the Modi-Shah Government. Why? On one hand, 6 to 7 Shivsena leaders are in the dock with various law enforcing agencies raiding them, and how can we expect our Shivsena CM to be heard in Delhi? It is a clear message that not all is well between Shivsena and the BJP. Number 2. Sitaram Kunte took SC judgement in Prakash Singh case very lightly. Niraj Gunde in his tweets had regularly reminded Kunte and the Government of Maharashtra for the appointment of a permanent DGP after IPS Sanjay Pande couldn’t be made permanent . As per Gunde, this was contempt of Hon’ble Supreme Court and surely this factor somewhere played in the minds of centre whilst considering his extension. If you remember, ED had summoned Kunte in the Anil Deshmukh case, and the CBI had summoned him in the SID report on the Police Transfer scam. And to top of all, what I have heard, many other IAS including some of Marathi ones, gossip of ‘no considerate help got when it was required’ to most of them. Hence all these reasons attributed for his image being waded off somewhere in the eyes of the Centre and hence the rejection.
But I don’t think Kunte had an active role in the DGP matter. The message to keep the matter lingering must be from somewhere above. I feel if the current CP Mumbai Hemant Nagrale is to be made the new DGP Maharashtra since he is the top contender before Rajneesh Sheth, the post of CP Mumbai becomes vacant. And believe me with all the fiasco in IPS postings, I am sure that the MVA Government is in no mood for yet another controversy for appointment of a new CP. But eventually the government will have to, in case Nagrale wins the race for the DGP post.
Now that Kunte has been made the Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister, my information says it is just a stop-gap arrangement made for Kunte. Kunte very soon will replace Swadhin Kshatriya who is the State Chief Commissioner of Right To Service. If I am not wrong, Kunte was also asked for the MPSC chairman post, which then later went to Kishore Raje Nimbalkar. Now, Kunte will have to be yet another IAS officer in the CMO with already so many cooling their heels there. Just a difference, he will have a nice cabin to himself.
Coming to MMRDA. What’s up with SVR Sriniwas? Heard for the posting a humongous and outrageous promise was made to the concerned for getting posted there and now that it seems impossible to fulfil it, you are taking too much stress for it. And with stress comes frustration, anger and bossy nature. Heard you are removing frustrations not only on your senior most next level officers but even below. One such instance to be quoted is that, there was a tennis court that was made by the MMRDA nearby where all ex, retired officers and even their families used to come and have a shot at the game. You shut that down! why? Just because you think it is not cool for ex commissioners to enter your forte else every information will be leaked? Aree sir, people and families young kids were enjoying so much, you just have snatched it away from them. Next What I heard was shocking…MMRDA was selected by the prestigious SKOCH award (Delhi) for the record making of BKC covid hospital in 14 days. 75 marks were to be given on the presentation and 25 marks were to be given on the stall that was supposed to be erected in Delhi. It would have cost 3 to 4 lakhs right ? You rejected this, Mumbai MMRDA lost 25 marks and yet in the remaining 75 marks MMRDA’s gigantic effort of building a covid centre in BKC managed to get a GOLD. Just because the credit would have been given to the ex commissioner and his team, you simply rejected the idea. Congratulations to MMRDA and BKC centre for winning GOLD. Sriniwas ji, the credit was to be given to you since you are the present commissioner! And by the way, some officers told me you have warned them not to go to a get-together which was organised for celebration of the GOLD award, why sir? Kya sir, not done and expected from you. We still have fond memories of how beautiful roads you have made when you were in the BMC, the Rs 352 crores case. Remember na sir? Just for information, has Minister Aaditya Thackeray who was so keen on weekly review meetings with the MMDRA team, stopped his meetings? Asking because, it is heard even Matoshri is unhappy somewhere.
Vikrant Hemant Joshi.
