MUMBAI: CM Uddhav Thackeray has reshuffled a record number of 300 Mantralaya cadre officials. The reshuffle includes promotion of assistant section officer to section officer, from section officer to undersecretary, and so on to deputy secretary and joint secretary.
Several officers in Mantralaya had been camping in the same department for years and had come to wield more clout than not only the secretaries of the departments, but even the cabinet members. “They had become so powerful no cabinet member was able to shift them. After the MVA government came to power, it was brought to the notice of the administration. After prolonged thought, 300-odd Mantralaya cadre officials were reshuffled in consultation with the CM,” a senior official told TOI.
In the past, former CMs like Devendra Fadnavis, and Prithviraj Chavan had made attempts to reshuffle the Mantralaya cadre officials, but did not succeed. “We hope all the transfer and promotion orders issued in the last two days are implemented. It will be a real testing time for the CM and the general administration department led by chief secretary Sitaram Kunte,” said the official.
As per rules, a Mantralaya cadre officer can’t be shifted out of Mantralaya. In 1983, Shrikant Jichkar as minister of state for general administration had proposed shifting them to the field for better understanding of ground situations, but failed.
