Prime Minister's Office picks up IAS officer who was shunted out by Ajit Pawar

Dr Shrikar Pardeshi, inspector general of registration (IGR) and controller of stamps, has been handpicked to serve in the Prime Minister's Office as deputy secretary. He would be given the charge of monitoring the functioning of a few central ministries along with other responsibilities.

Pardeshi's appointment is being seen as reward for his uncompromising attitude while acting against unauthorized constructions in Pimpri-Chinchwad in 2012. He was transferred allegedly at the behest of NCP leaders, especially the then deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.

The bureaucrat confirmed the development and said that he would be joining the PMO after two weeks. At present, he has the additional responsibility of chairman and MD of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited.

After taking over as the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) commissioner in 2012, Pardeshi, armed with a court order, had pulled down 487 unauthorised construction and snapped water supply to 209 illegal connections. He had also blocked sewerage lines of 171 illegal constructions.

However, this action didn't go down well allegedly with NCP and he was transferred in February 2014, before completion of his 2-year tenure at PCMC. The upright officer was so popular in Pimpri-Chinchwad that hundreds of citizens and many political parties had hit the streets to protest against his transfer. This had prompted Pawar to justify the action, saying since he was an efficient IAS officer, he was being transferred to IGR to boost revenue collection.

A 2001-batch officer of Maharashtra cadre, Pardeshi had, apart from disciplining the civic machinery, effectively implemented e-governance policy in PCMC, which was replicated by the Pune civic body.

Pardeshi has served in Kolhapur, Yavatmal, Akola and Nanded in different capacities and has won first prize for administrative reforms given by the state Government twice. He is the winner of a national-level award for water conservation efforts in Nanded.

Not just that, the officer was conferred on the national award from the Computer Society of India for his contribution in bringing about e-governance in Nanded. He underwent Eisenhower Fellowship in US in 2012 and completed next generation leaders program in South Korea at Korea Foundation in 2011.