MUMBAI: A month after his exit from the BMC, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday once against transferred Sitaram Kunte from the environment to finance (expenditure) department. On April 27, Fadnavis had replaced Kunte by former energy secretary Ajoy Mehta as BMC chief.
Besides Kunte, Fadnavis transferred four more bureaucrats, who were at loggerheads with their cabinet members. Water resources secretary Malini Shankar will be the new environment secretary in place of Kunte. Apparently, water resources minister Girish Mahajan had knocked at the CM's doors for Shankar's transfer. Housing secretary Satish Gavai, who was on a collision course with housing minister Prakash Mehta, will be the new water resources secretary. Ever since Gavai was shifted from Mhada to housing department, Mehta had lodged a strong protest, saying he was non-cooperative. Mehta had alleged that the entire new housing policy was drafted without his knowledge. Then Mehta had observed that the housing department does not need a secretary; as a result, Gavai had proceeded on a long leave. Planning secretary Srikant Singh will be the new housing secretary, while additional chief secretary (textile and cooperation) Sunil Porwal will replace him.
A BJP cabinet member said a month after Fadnavis took over the reins; there was a cold war between a section of ministers and senior bureaucrats. Revenue minister Eknath Khadse was the first to lodge a protest against the appointment of Manukumar Shrivastava as revenue secretary. School education minister Vinod Tawde then made it known to the CM that he was not happy with the functioning of higher and technical education secretary Sanjay Chahande and medical education secretary Medha Gadgil. Housing minister Prakash Mehta lodged a protest in public against Gavai's style of functioning. "We feel bureaucrats have refused to recognize cabinet members' authority. The trend will have adverse impact on the administration," the cabinet member said.
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