Praveen Pardeshi, IAS officer, who was recently transferred from the post of the municipal commissioner, abruptly proceeded for a 14-day leave on Sunday, May 10, 2020. According to sources, Pardeshi applied for leave citing a family emergency. Additional Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Chahal replaced Pardeshi to tackle the ongoing problems in the BMC.
Pardeshi, who is considered by many as the best man for the job in the bureaucratic circle, had his transfer raise many eyebrows. It is being inferred that along with the rises in the COVID-19 cases in the city, with the added pressure of the centre to monitor the situation, also, the mismanagement in municipal hospitals are some of the reasons for his exit. To top it off, his decision to override a notification on opening liquor shops, issued by State Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta, is being considered as one of the major reasons for the move. The 58-year-old is known to have an ongoing cold war with Mehta, whom he replaced as BMC commissioner in May 2019. As Pardeshi and Mehta continued to be at loggerheads with each other, Pardeshi was replaced, bringing Iqbal Singh Chahal into the picture.
Maharashtra which is currently dealing with 22,161 cases, has 13,739 cases in Mumbai alone.
The rising numbers did not sit well with CM Uddhav Thackeray to warned the citizens on Friday to strictly follow the lockdown restrictions in order to safeguard themselves and their neighbours.
Chahal, who is all geared up to take Pardeshi’s place, is presently the principal secretary of the Urban Development Department and is known to be former Union Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s man. He was made an Officer on Special Duty to the Ministry of Home Affairs during Shinde’s tenure in the UPA 2. When the NDA came to power, Chahal was transferred to the Women and Child Ministry.
Share
Tweet
