11 September,2026 10:24 AM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondent
Rohit Pawar. File Photo
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Thursday accused the Maharashtra government of shielding Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar, who he claimed faced serious allegations of corruption during his earlier tenure as Transport Commissioner.
Addressing a press conference in Pune, Pawar alleged that a Rs 40-crore racket was involved in the alleged Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recruitment examination paper leak. He also presented details of alleged irregularities linked to Bhimanwar's tenure in the transport department and demanded that he step down as MPSC chairman.
Pawar directly criticised Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over Bhimanwar's appointment, alleging that the government had access to documents concerning the allegations but had failed to take action.
"The Chief Minister has all the documents regarding Bhimanwar, and I am ready to provide them again if needed. However, if no action is taken, it clearly indicates that the Chief Minister is protecting him," Pawar stated, demanding Bhimanwar's immediate resignation on moral grounds.
Rohit Pawar's allegations come as MPSC aspirants continue to protest over concerns about paper leaks, examination procedures and alleged administrative lapses within the commission.
Referring to the FDA recruitment examination controversy, Pawar challenged a statement made by the state secretary on July 27, in which the government had denied that the examination paper was leaked.
"The paper was not confined to a single individual; it reached hundreds of candidates, pointing to a Rs 40 crore racket," he claimed.
Pawar also referred to an earlier statement by Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik in the state legislature, in which the minister had allegedly acknowledged the existence of an active racket within Regional Transport Offices (RTOs).
Pawar said the alleged scale of the FDA examination controversy warranted a detailed investigation rather than a dismissal of the claims as an isolated incident.
Pawar also questioned Bhimanwar's reported position in favour of conducting MPSC examinations online.
He pointed to what he described as a contradiction with Bhimanwar's earlier opposition to online transfer systems for government officers and employees.
"If someone pays Rs 40 lakh to become a Talathi, what happens to deserving, underprivileged students?" Pawar questioned.
He called for an officer with an established reputation for integrity to head the commission and suggested former senior bureaucrat Tukaram Mundhe as an example of the kind of leadership he believed was needed to restore confidence in the recruitment process.
During the press conference, Pawar also raised questions about Bhimanwar's career in government service.
He said Bhimanwar joined government service in 1993 and served as a Special Executive Officer to the Chief Minister in 2014 before being promoted to the IAS in 2018.
Pawar also claimed that three Special Executive Officers appointed during Fadnavis' tenure were subsequently elevated to the IAS.
He presented these details while questioning the circumstances surrounding Bhimanwar's appointment as MPSC chairman and called for greater scrutiny of the selection process.
Pawar also criticised the MPSC's decision to postpone the Maharashtra Group-C Services Combined Preliminary Examination, which was originally scheduled for October 25.
The commission has postponed the examination by three months. Pawar rejected the explanation that the change was linked to upcoming festivals and questioned whether there were other reasons behind the decision.
He suggested that the postponement could be linked to concerns over another possible paper leak, although he did not provide evidence establishing such a connection.
Pawar demanded that the Group-C preliminary examination be held offline between October and November.
He said conducting the preliminary examination during this period would allow the main examination to be held in December, with final results declared by January and the recruitment process completed without further delays.
His comments come amid ongoing protests by MPSC aspirants, who have been demanding greater transparency in the commission's functioning and raising concerns over alleged paper leaks and administrative decisions. The protesters have also sought the resignation of Bhimanwar and other officials associated with the commission.
(With inputs from IANS)
