Ajay Ashar please show your ‘Asar…’
On the 10th May, 2020 I had written a blog, “Avinash Bhosale for the CM of Maharashtra”. Please note, that blog and this blog don’t have connection in any respect. This is just to make Ajay Ashar remind that his ‘Asar’ is diminishing and it is time I take the lead and make him understand a few nitigrities of Maharashtra government and bureaucracy before he regains his power. Time and again we have seen that there is always someone or the other who controls bureaucracy, be it any government, as an outsider. You would be a novice in Maharashtra politics, if you haven’t heard the name AJAY ASHAR. He is a businessman from Thane, a close associate and mentor of millions of big/small politicians and bureaucrats. Even the likes of Kadam visit him for advice. In between had heard that CM Shinde was asked to maintain a distance with this old friend of his from someone really big at the Centre, and in fact Ashar had gone missing too, only to find out that he was visiting abroad for a surgery of his relative. He was back in the town during the Budget session and yes, he is roaring now, but the roar is not reaching at the right places! As millions of you who thought the absence was due to advice from someone at Delhi, you must be joking!
I have been taught that if you can’t change your surroundings, adapt! Hence this blog. Now I am told the majority of decisions in the infrastructure sector of state/city/MMR (he is also VP at Maharashtra Planning Commission) and even when the time comes for the bureaucracy reshuffle, a visit to ‘Nirmal’ building at Nariman Point with bodyguards awaiting outside Ashar’s den, is a must! It is said that be it any IAS/IPS, you will see them all here at Nirmal. But is he briefed properly before he intervenes by the ones visiting him, I have my doubts! He is a very ‘on the face man’ I am told. Whosoever cries in front of him, like a large-hearted person that he is, Ashar is ready to help without even thinking of his consequences. For those who don’t know where the office of Ashar is, it is the same building where CIDCO has its town office.
Ajay Bhai, let me come to the point! I know you were NOT responsible for the transfers that happened in the Energy Department. Hence the brief! Just tell me with the CMD of MAHADISCOM being Lokesh Chandra and the Secretary of the department being his wife Abha Shukla, will there be no conflict of interest on regular issues, Ajay Bhai? By the way, Lokesh bhai has a big role here in MAHADISCOM. Have been following his work since the CIDCO and Irrigation department. Generally Ajay bhai, with even the interests of BJP strongmen in this department, won’t it be an issue of conflict for CM Shinde and DCM Fadnavis? I think even if you aren’t a part of this, kindly address this issue as I don’t want the Government and Lokesh Chandra himself to face embarrassment as he has shoes of Ajay Mehta, Subrat Ratho, Ajay Bhushan Pandey, Ravi Budhiraja, Vinay Bansal and so on to fill in. The workload is crazy, which I am sure Lokesh will pull off under able guidance.
Now, Ajay Bhai, don’t you feel that bringing Sanjay Mukherjee as MMRDA and Anil Diggikar to CIDCO is a master move by the Government? But here I did not understand why Asheesh Sharma was shifted out of UDD-2 in just one day? But in all of this, it was a bumper lottery for otherwise sidelined Govindraj. He ended up getting UDD-2. Now someone was telling me since Govindraj is senior to Commissioner Mukherjee it wouldn’t have looked good that a senior is reporting to a junior (batch I meant) hence the transfers of Govindraj and Sharma. Another Additional Metropolitan Commissioner is Ashwin Mudgal, who is from the 2007 batch.
Where we have a husband who will be reporting to the wife here, so where would a batch here and there make a difference? But still the Government thought of moving Asheesh Sharma who couldn’t believe his luck on being given UDD-2. His dream was short-lived. Just asking, has it ever happened earlier too in the IAS ? Can someone put a light on this that a husband and wife are in the same department? I mean I know Mhaiskar, Patne’s, Ashish Kumar Singh/Valsa Nair, Saunik’s, Darade’s, but I haven’t heard of them working in one department anytime. Ajay Bhai, had you intervened in the Energy Department too, the Government would have saved itself from this embarrassment of transferring seniors whose bosses are of the junior batch. I know you are a typical Gujrati means you are metculate in planning, hard-work, and then your voice is heard!
Manisha Mhaiskar has been made in-charge of the PWD now. Both husband and wife are back in the main circuit after a year. Now, I would like to give my two bits here to Mhaiskar madam. Atul Chavan, who is the Chief Engineer in Pune for the PWD and Ranjit Hande who is the CE of Mumbai, it is said in PWD circle, all tenders, transfers and even buying bouquets or renovating offices it is decided by only these two in Mumbai and Pune respectively, such is their clout and influence. Ajay bhai, you need to call these Hande and Chavan over a cup of tea if they trouble madam too, unless they are not of your class. But would you stoop to the level of Chief Engineer in bureaucracy? Forget it, I will inform Madam and caution her.
Now Ajay Bhai, what are we doing with Sonia Sethi? I think you should convince Nitin Kareer to give up his additional charge of Revenue to her 😉😜😉😉😜. Joking, please don’t do anything of this sort. We should not take Revenue away from Nitin Kareer. Just 8 months left for him to retire. Let him enjoy Finance and Revenue all together as we aren’t going to make him the CS or make him the BMC Commissioner, right ? And why isn’t Aseem Gupta’s order flashing for UDD-1?
Accha few people are spreading mad rumours about you. They want to meet you and seek help, but they say, the charges are triple. I don’t think you are involved in any such money matters and fees and all, but if you are, sir, there are officers who will do your work for free once their work is done, but few of them need help like now! Should I send them to you? They are spread everywhere in Maharashtra but don’t have ‘resources’ to reach you and they consider you to be a good MENTOR. Please have a rethink for the charges (if there are) if you want returning customers. Also there are many bureaucrats like the Patne husband-wife who since I have begun reporting haven’t seen them on a good post ever since i.e. in the last 13 years. God knows why no one at the top prefers them? Same with Tukaram Mundhe. But then there are many in Maharashtra who keep on calling me to help them in postings. I tell them senior bureaucrats don’t reply to my messages for 3 days put together let alone they will listen to me for postings. Now they know whom to come to.
Rest, I am a small-time journalist who is in awe with people who command power. More Power to you Ajay Bhai. See you sometime !
Vikrant Hemant Joshi.
