OFF THE RECORD-GST Bhavan
What is happening in GST Bhavan of Mumbai? Who calls the shots here?
The month of April & May in every department of the government, it is known to be as the “rich period”, as a lot of transfers take place. Jalota, known to be a strict officer, is certainly or conveniently avoiding or overlooking some transfers of Additional Commissioner level. I have known Jalota as a good & honest man, but the facts I shall present below, I leave it to you to judge his judgements, again nothing taking away any of his good work in the department….
JARA SA HATKE–Friendships are quite common between bureaucrats & journalists, bureaucrats & ministers and so on…But this one particular friendship is making a lot of noise now. The friendship that has already bloomed and eating rich fruits in Mantralaya is that of IAS Satish Gavai (outgoing from his current posting and will be replaced by Anil Diggikar), Dr Rajendra Singh (one of the biggest setters of Mantralaya & SRA ) and retired engineer Kharche of the SRA. They say this trio together have projects of real estate which might just give MLA Lodha a run for his money….
www.vikrantjoshi.com
Back to the original topic —It is about Additional Commissioner’s transfers of Mumbai, Pune & Nashik & how certain officers –who are capable are always made scapegoats of the ever rotting system. I have always maintained–our problem lies in only one thing–Good Governance. We have to understand the whole background here. Currently Nahsik’s Additional Commissioner post belongs to Chitra Kulkarni. Same post in Pune belongs to OC Bhangdia and the 3 posts of Additional Commissioner’s are vacant in Mumbai. Posting is always given where post is vacant. But here posting of a certain Vilas Indalkar is “SHOWN” at Pune, Tilekar (Chagan Bhujbal’s ex-PA) at Nashik (now we know why Tilekar at Nahsik) and Kale is shown at Thane. All these posts are filled up but yet some other officers are working currently. This whole procedure is wrong.
Now both Bhangdia & Kulkarni (currently posted as Addl Comm at Pune & Nashik respectively) had asked for exchange of cities as both of them belonged to the same batch & both of them have served Mumbai already. Bhangadia’s request was not in writing though. It could have been as simple for the Commissioner to just exchange the cities and make both of them happy. But I guess someone in the department had other plans. One Joint Commissioner Mr. Vilas Indalkar who is of the same batch (1988) of Kulkarni & Bhangdia gets promoted early this year, all of a sudden. He is currently posted Joint Commissioner -Kolhapur. Now if he belongs to the same batch of Kulkarni & Bhangdia why did he get promoted after 3 years ? Who and why is someone helping a certain Indalkar to go to Pune?
Now, haven’t heard anything great about this Vilas Indalkar. ALLEGEDLY, our friend Vilas is known to be close to the top brass in the bureaucracy & plus his caste (MARATHA) plays an important role in his identification. Reason for his delay in promotion along with his batchmates was due to GAD’s IAS Bhagwan Sahay. Sahay couldn’t believe the reason as to why Indalkar should be promoted from JC to Addl Commissioner if he was not there in service for good 8-10 years…Yes, you read it right…for almost 8-10 years Indalkar was out of service. For the first 5 years, people say, Indalkar became a prolific builder in Pune …thats how I think he could manage beautiful HOMES in Pune and some in Mumbai (Nerul) and it is my reading that the money Indalkar must have saved he might have used that to fund his child at the posh London School of Economics. Oh, again after completion of 5 years of ‘holiday’ Indalkar joins back the department, works for another 6-7 months and again applies for ‘study leave’. Now, not me, but sources in the department say, with the help of previous Ministers Indalkar must have got his ‘bogus’ education certificates also passed by the department. By the way somewhere during his holidays, Indalkar was also on deputation to the Maharashtra State Warehousing Corporation at Pune. For an officer who stays home for good 8 years gets plush postings, earns money and yes, a pat on the back from his superiors too, must be investigated by the ACB.
Now this Indalkar has one more friend named RR Patil in Pune who is currently posted as Joint Commissioner-Pune. After having 4 Joint Commissioners in Pune, still Commissioner goes ahead and gives him an independent charge of “Investigation” (Hope you all know what Investigation & Sales Tax is?)….Traders & businessmen have truck loads of complaints against him for being “adjustment” person— he does not seem to have any respect for his immediate boss Additional Comm Bhangadia there. He carries on investigations without prior intimation to his immediate boss in Pune, but yes Patil does not forget to thank someone in the HO for conferring him this money making chair. Last heard, Jalota has verbally assured Patil that his last one year before retirement in GST bhavan, will be in Pune only.
Anyways, back to Indalkar. Indalkar has been currently “shown” as the next Additional Commissioner of Pune. For this allegedly, again the Commissioner in a haste promoted him to Adl Commissioner (MAT is yet to clear the file) and has given him an additional charge at Mumbai HO. And people with good character , moral ethics , honest & upright people like Bhangdia & Kulkarni will be asked to come to Mumbai, even after several requests to the Commissioner and citing him the personal problems they are facing. The whole thing is such wonderfully set up by Indalkar that when the complainant went to “only” sweet talker Sudhir Mungantiwar he simply guided these two to his PA Varudkar, who heard everything but couldn’t extend any help. Now the file has been signed by Mungantiwar and is sitting on pretty desk of CMO’s Bilonikar. Everyone knows what is Pune going to experience once this 10 year absentee Indalkar join hands with his partner in crime and fellow student (Agriculture University) Ravindra R Patil. Both of them will make merry in GST Bhavan at Pune and the fruits will be passed up the ladder.
Someone should report this to the Chief Minister, One complaint in writing (copy is with me) to the CM or FM isn’t enough. Honest officers should meet Pravin Pardeshi or CM himself. Such racket which originates from the Head Offices of the officers who just wear fake masks of being honest & non-corrupt should be humiliated in public by the CM for favouritism.
Vikrant Joshi
