Regarding portfolio allocation, The CM and the DCMs have retained their ministries, with Home going to Fadnavis and Urban Development and Finance going to Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, respectively.
The appointments of the staff in various ministries, including that of private secretaries, will now have to go through a check mark from CM Devendra Fadnavis.
After the portfolio allocation on Friday, which also marked the last day of the winter session of the Maharashtra assembly, reports suggest that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis laid down specific directives regarding the ministerial staff appointment process.
Directing that all new staff — starting from private secretaries (PS) to officers on special duty (OSD) — must be approved by the CMO before any appointments are made.
This protocol will apply to ministers- irrespective of party lines. It will also apply to the DCMs Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde. The CMO has issued a stern warning that any minister not adhering to the directives will face severe consequences, including withholding salaries for the appointed staff members.
Is this something unprecedented?
So the answer to that is NO. This protocol was followed even during Fadnavis’ first term from 2014-2019. However, the process is expected to be stringent, with the CMO scrutinizing each name to ensure that it aligns with security and operational standards before approval.
As per the new directives, the Chief Minister can appoint up to 148 staff members, and the Deputy Chief Minister can assign up to 78. Other cabinet ministers are allowed to appoint 10-12 staff members each.
It’s been said that a key aspect of this directive is to ensure that those officers close to MVA leaders are not reappointed. As these staff members could leak sensitive information to opposition parties.
There are mixed reactions amongst the ministers regarding the decision, but there is not much they can do to express resentment.
Regarding portfolio allocation, The CM and the DCMs have retained their ministries, with Home going to Fadnavis and Urban Development and Finance going to Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, respectively.
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