Are IAS lobby succumb to political pressure?
As per the government, failing to contain the spread of COVID-19 cases, IAS Chandrakant Dange was replaced by IAS Dr Vijay Rathod as new MBMC Commissioner on Tuesday. However, the question arises, how can an IAS officer transfer within four months of new posting and that’s too in the lockdown when he was doing a commendable job.
Not only MBMC, but the state government has also replaced three Thane district municipal commissioners and brought in young IAS officials to head the civic bodies in the region, a district official said on Tuesday.
The government has replaced the civic chiefs of Navi Mumbai, Ulhasnagar and Mira-Bhayandar municipal corporations, the official said.
Who is Dr Rathod
Dr Vijay Rathod is a 2014 batch IAS officer. He was posted as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gadchiroli Zilla Parishad. Earlier to that, he was served as Assistant Collector and Project Officer for Integrated Tribal Development Project in Amravati region, where, he has done a commendable job. Dr Rathod along with few medical students from B.J. Medical College, Pune has started an initiative to train tribal students to appear for the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET).
Dr Rathod is likely to take charge on Wednesday.
Know About Mr Dange
The out-going MBMC Commissioner Mr Chandrakant Dange is a 2010 batch officer. Mr Dange holds a Master Degree in Technology from one of the prestigious institute IIT, Kharagpur. He has a rich experience of serving in various government departments like tribal development and municipalities including Jalgaon and now MBMC.
He was transferred as MBMC Commissioner in mid-February this year. Earlier to this, he was served as secretary in the state’s General Administration Department (GAD) and is known for his no-nonsense attitude and very firm approach in the administrative circles. With his tech-savvy image, MBMC becomes first Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra which launches Home Delivery app amid lockdown. In his four months of tenure during Coronavirus, people saw his strong decision-making ability.
However, thanks to the political tug-of-war to hold power in milking municipal corporation, this upright IAS officer is succumbed and transferred without completing his terms under the garb of routine transfers. Mr Dange’s posting was not announced by Sitaram Kunte, Additional Chief Secretary (Service) till Tuesday evening.
Experts say, “Along with politicians, we cannot ignore his corrupt colleagues. Some of his juniors have a complaint about him orally in Mantralaya and even in New Delhi.”
Other Transfers
While former collector of Palghar Abhijit Bhangar will head the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Dr Mantada Raja Dayanidhi has been appointed as the municipal commissioner of the Ulhasnagar civic body, he said.
Last week, the government had appointed Dr Pankaj Ashiya to head the Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation, following the rise in COVID-19 cases there.
