Tukaram Mundhe. Four months after his abrupt transfer from the Nagpur municipal commissioner’s post, bureaucrat Tukaram Mundhe is still awaiting a new post. Sources say that a majority of ministers are not keen on having the 2005-batch officer posted in their respective departments even as Mundhe is said to be eyeing BMC’s additional municipal commissioner’s post for a while. With his frequent run-ins with elected representatives, it needs to be seen if the CMO accedes to his preference. Mundhe is also due for promotion to the secretary-rank by December end.
Home sick
State BJP president Chandrakant Patil’s remarks about “returning to Kolhapur” have set political tongues wagging. At a function in Pune on December 25, Patil, who hails from Kolhapur but was elected as an MLA from Pune’s Kothrud, made it clear that he has no plans to settle down in Pune. “Tell my opponents I’ll return to Kolhapur,” he said. Whether his remarks were meant for his opponents in BJP or other parties is not clear yet. A few days ago, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis, had visited former party MLA from Kothrud, Medha Kulkarni, who has been sulking since she was denied a ticket to accommodate Patil.
In the line of fire
A minister, who is known from his strong arm tactics and defiant style of politics, has reportedly invited Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s wrath. Sources close to Thackeray said that certain private institutions had approached the CMO, complaining that the minister was forcing them to accede to his demands. Thackeray is said to have cautioned the minister about his behaviour.
Turf war
The abrupt transfer of 1993-batch IAS officer Lokesh Chandra from the post of principal secretary (Water Resources) within four months of taking charge is being attributed to Chandra being at odds with department minister and NCP’s Maharashtra president Jayant Patil over a proposal. Vijay Kumar Gautam (1987 batch), who has now succeeded Chandra to the post, is retiring in a few months, while Chandra is still on compulsory waiting.
All in the family
Upcoming polls to 51 gram panchayats in Jalgaon’s Muktainagar may see Eknath Khadse square up against his daughter-in-law Raksha. While Khadse, an ex-BJP minister who has switched over to NCP, has been tasked with ensuring that the NCP wins maximum seats in these gram panchayats, BJP has made Raksha – the party MP from Raver – the in charge of its election campaign.
Post retirement perk
Plans are afoot to bring all ongoing and proposed Metro rail routes in Mumbai under one umbrella state-run corporation. A senior bureaucrat is said to be eyeing the post of the chairman of the proposed new corporation, post his retirement at the end of February, 2021. In 2018, the Devendra Fadnavis government had re-employed Radheshyam Mopalwar as MSRDC’s vice-president and managing director on contract basis on the very day he retired from service. Mopalwar’s contract has since been renewed from time to time.
Compiled by Sandeep Ashar