Maha govt sends list of three IAS officers for BMC chief's post to poll panel

Mumbai : The Maharashtra government, in its compliance report sent to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday, suggested names of three IAS officers - Bhushan Gagrani, Anil Diggikar, and Sanjay Mukherjee - for the post of BrihanMumbai Corporation Commissioner.

The government’s move comes after the poll panel directed the state Chief Secretary to transfer BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal who has been in office since May 8, 2020.

The EC had also asked the state government to transfer Additional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners of BMC and other civic bodies who have completed a three-year term or will complete it by June this year.

"The government has complied with the ECI’s directive and sent a panel of three IAS officers - Bhushan Gagrani, Anil Diggikar, and Sanjay Mukherjee. Only after ECI's decision, will one of them be appointed the BMC Commissioner," a senior government official said.

Gagrani, who belongs to the 1990 batch, is the Additional Chief Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office, Diggikar, from the same batch, is the General Manager of the BrihanMumbai Electric Supply and Transport, while Mukherjee from the 1996 batch is the Commissioner of the Mumbai Metropolitan Authority.

The official said that till the ECI’s reply comes, Chahal will continue to be the BMC Commissioner. However, in the wake of the ECI’s order, the Urban Development Department on Tuesday transferred 34 Deputy Commissioners of various civic bodies with immediate effect.

The government’s compliance was necessitated as the ECI, in its directive issued on March 18, had asked the state government to transfer Chahal while expressing serious displeasure for not doing it earlier despite its previous orders.

EC Secretary S.K. Das, in a letter dated March 18 to state Chief Secretary Nitin Kareer, a copy of which is with IANS, reminded him that the state government did not comply with the order dated December 21, 2023, saying that no officer connected directly with elections shall be allowed to continue in the present district (revenue district) of her or his home district or if he or she has completed three years in that district during last four years or would be completing 3 years on or before June 30.

He further stated that while calculating the period of three years, promotion to a post within the district is to be counted. Das also said that the poll panel's instructions cover the officers deputed in municipal corporations.

"The Government of Maharashtra did not comply with the order and, instead through a letter dated January 15, 2024, sought clarification if these instructions are also applicable to the Divisional Commissioners, Municipal Commissioners, Additional Commissioners, and Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Parishads," he added.

The EC said it has already clarified its position in this regard through the letter of December 2023.

"However, till late, the state government of Maharashtra has not transferred some of the Municipal Commissioners, Additional Municipal Commissioners, and Deputy Municipal Commissioners who are covered under the Commission’s transfer/posting policy," he added. ‘

"Now, therefore the Commission conveys displeasure to the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra and directs him to immediately transfer Iqbal Chahal, BMC Commissioner, from his present post," Das said in his letter, asking the Chief Secretary to convey the compliance report to the Commission by Tuesday evening.