Race Heats Up For Maharashtra Chief Secretary Post As Retirement Nears

Mumbai: With just five days left for the state chief secretary to retire, speculation is mounting within the top echelon of the bureaucracy over who will succeed to the top post. The frontrunners include Rajesh Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue); Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary at the Union Ministry of Social Justice; and IS Chahal, Additional Chief Secretary (Home).

If Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis decides to appoint a chief secretary for a year-long tenure and Rajesh Aggarwal comes back to his parent state to take over, he will eliminate at least eight secretaries from the competition for the top post. After his superannuation, the state will get its second lady chief secretary, Manisha Patankar Mhaiskar, who is the additional chief secretary (PWD). She will be getting the longest tenure in recent times, i.e. of over 2 and a half years.

A murmur in the corridors of Mantraya, if believed, says the name of IS Chahal was doing rounds since he will get seven months as the chief secretary since he is set to retire in January next year. Although Rajesh Kumar is the senior-most after Sujata Saunik, he will get just two months since he will be retiring in August.

After Rajesh Kumar and IS Chahal, the officer who is presently serving in the state is Anil Diggikar, the additional chief secretary for Divyang Kalyan Department, who will be superannuating in May next year. BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani is set to retire in March next year.

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If Rajesh Aggarwal, the secretary to the government of India, decides to stay back in Delhi, the race hots up, and after Chahal, Gagrani may stake his claim to the top position.

Although Mhaiskar will retire in March 2029, she may get an extension if the Lok Sabha elections take place as per schedule. For seeking extension, the state needs to make a submission to the central government with reasons. Normally, it's only during the general elections or a calamity that an extension is granted