Pune: Dr Rajesh Deshmukh takes charge as the Pune District Collector

Pune: Dr Rajesh Deshmukh, a 2008-batch IAS officer, took charge as the District Collector of Pune on Wednesday (August 19) morning. Sitaram Kunte, Additional Chief Secretary (Services) had issued the orders of Dr Deshmukh’s transfer to the coveted post on Monday (August 17).

Dr Deshmukh was serving as Managing Director of state-run Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical Corporation and Haffkine Institute before his appointment as Pune District Collector. Dr Deshmukh was asked to take charge of his new office immediately and report to the state government about the same since the Covid-19 outbreak situation in Pune district has become challenging. Dr Deshmukh will also be the head of Pune District Disaster Management Authority and responsible for the Covid-19 situation management in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad cities.

Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Ayush Prasad was given the additional responsibility as Pune District Collector after Naval Kishor Ram was transferred as the Deputy Secretary in the Prime Minister Office (PMO) in New Delhi. Pune Divisional Commissioner Saurabh Rao had issued the orders for handing over the charge of District Collector post to Prasad on August 8 (Saturday). These orders were issued four days after Ram was asked to join the PMO office. Prasad had been given the additional charge of District Collector while the state government bought some time to transfer and shuffle IAS officials of some key posts.

Deshmukh was the state nodal officer for Covid-19 testing and has played a key role in setting up two Covid-19 testing labs in March month when the state government together had only six laboratories for Covid-19 testing across Maharashtra. He was also associated with procurement of Corporate Social Responsibility material for the state and assembling of equipment for various medical colleges.

Dr Deshmukh has saved up to Rs 342 crore in the medicine procurement process. Deshmukh was previously the district collector at Yavatmal where he was credited with reducing the number of farmers’ suicide.