Sujata Saunik CS Home; 3 in race for MMRDA chief

Saunik is third woman IAS officer appointed for the post

MUMBAI: In a major reshuffle of senior IAS officers on Friday, the Eknath Shinde government appointed Sujata Saunik as Maharashtra’s new home secretary and shifted SVR Srinivas from Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to the Dharavi Redevelopment Authority (DRA). One of the three senior officers -- Ashwini Bhide, Anil Diggikar and Sanjay Mukherjee — is being considered for the MMRDA commissioner’s post.

Bhide is at present the additional municipal commissioner, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Anil Diggiker is Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority’s (MHADA) outgoing chief, while Mukherjee is City and Industrial Development Corporation’s managing director. Bhide has the additional charge as managing director of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation, which is implementing Metro 3 (Colaba to Seepz underground line).

After the transfers of 20 officers, another round will follow soon, as a decision on key posts, including that of Mumbai municipal commissioner, is pending.

The position of home secretary had fallen vacant after the retirement of Anand Limaye. Saunik is from the 1987 batch of IAS officers and was earlier in the race of chief secretary. Her husband Manoj Saunik was appointed to the post in May. Other names to head the home department discussed included Nitin Gadre, Manisha Mhaiskar and Anoop Kumar.

Sujata Saunik is the third woman IAS officer in the state to occupy the post after Chitkala Zutshi and Chandra Iyengar.

As Srinivas had led important infrastructure projects through his tenure, the government is likely to pick an officer who can expedite them, especially since the civic polls, Lok Sabha and assembly elections are expected next year.

Among other transfers, Sanjeev Jaiswal, who was principal secretary of the Water Supply and Sanitation Department, is now the vice president and chief executive officer of MHADA.

Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking’s (BEST) general manager Lokesh Chandra has been posted as chief managing director of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company, while the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited’s chief Vijay Singhal has been appointed as chief of BEST, which is suffering losses.

Radhika Rastogi is now principal secretary (Planning), while IA Kundan is in-charge of Minority Welfare Department.

Asheesh Sharma who was the additional commissioner at BMC, has been posted as principal secretary, Urban Development Department - II, while Indian Revenue Service officer Sudhakar Shinde who worked as CEO of Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana and garnered much acclaim for his remarkable work during the Covid-19 pandemic, has been posted in BMC as additional commissioner.

IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe who is known to run into controversies with political masters, has been posted as secretary of Marathi Bhasha Department. He was removed from the position of health commissioner after he objected to many decisions taken by health minister Tanaji Sawant, following which Sawant complained to the chief minister. Mundhe has been without a posting for a long time now.

Amit Saini, an officer who worked as CEO of Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) has been posted as mission director of Jal Jeevan Mission, Mumbai, while Manik Gursal, additional development commissioner (Industries) has been posted as CEO, MMB.

Chandrakant Pulkundwar, who was municipal commissioner of Nashik, is now the commissioner of Sugar, in place of Shekhar Gaikwad who retired as Latur’s collector. Prithviraj B P has been posted as director, Information Technology, Mumbai.

Sujata Saunik