Maharashtra CM personally to go through bio data of IAS officers for transfers

After a major bureaucratic reshuffle that saw 42 senior IAS officers transferred at the start of the year, the state government pegging away to finalize a second list of 10-12 district collectors who would be transferred around the turn of the month. Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis is personally going through each and every biodata. Incidentally, no minister was consulted on the transfer or promotion; the list is confidential.

A senior bureaucrat said on the condition of anonymity, "It is well known among IAS officers that the CM is aware of the performance of bureaucrats."

Earlier, some upright bureaucrats from different areas, who refused to buckle to illegal pressures from the builders lobby, paid the price for their moral rectitude by getting transferred to low-profile areas. They are also looking to be transferred back to Mumbai.

Around eight direct IAS officers of 2011 batch are also likely to be promoted and transferred. These officers are working as sub divisional magistrate (SDM) or project officer (PO) for almost one and half years, and are eligible for promotion to zilla parishad CEOs.

Regarding the promotion and transfer of the eight IAS officers of 2011 batch who are waiting in the wings for the past one and a half years to be promoted, a senior bureaucrat said on the condition of anonymity,

"Generally, direct IAS officers are promoted from junior to senior scale within six months all over India, but in Maharashtra it takes around a year. However, of late, the promotion has been deferred to after one and half years."

A senior official said, "Despite the acute shortage of IAS officers in Maharashtra, the government is delaying promotions of these officers, depriving them of their legitimate right while being unable to utilize their talents, which is the need of the hour."

An officer from the general administration department (GAD) said, "Between 2006-09, junior officers were promoted within six to 10 months. The trend changed in 2010, and they were promoted after one and half years in February 2014. Now, the 2011 batch is almost on the verge of completing 16 months and awaiting promotions or transfers."

A senior bureaucrat told dna, "We must appreciate that the CM did not succumb to pressure of the IAS lobby or maneuvering. All officers were aware of the reshuffle but could not press for a specific post. The CM, after going through officers' track records , took a bold decision and is prepared to counter criticism. He may have tilted the decision in some cases considering BJP's interests, but has not "sold" or "auctioned" any post, which used to happen in the previous government."