BJP govt to sack people chosen by Congress-NCP to helm state bodies

Ruffled by the ldquoaudacityrdquo of an NCP man the new state government led by the BJP has resolved to scrap all political appointments made to staterun bodies by its predecessor the CongressNCP regime and replace them with its ownChief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had issued a directive to this effect four days backThe decision to be implemented as soon as can be will make way for new chairmen and members to state authorities such as CIDCO and MHADA among a host of othersDilip Kamble MoS for social justice was rubbed the wrong way that an NCP man should question his decision to call a meeting without him File picWhile CIDCO is currently headed by NCPrsquos Pramod Hindurao the Mumbai board of MHADA is headed by Congressman Yusuf Abrahani and the Mumbai Repair and Reconstruction Board is headed by NCPrsquos Prasad LadAccording to a senior functionary of the BJP government a lengthy discussion was held during the weekly meeting of the state cabinet yesterday and the state administration was directed to scrap all the appointments made by the previous dispensationIn fact Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had issued a directive to this effect around four days back but the administration had failed to put out the orders immediatelyThe issue figured again in Tuesdayrsquos meeting after Dilip Kamble minister of state for social justice narrated an incident that chafed him According to him an NCP appointee to a staterun corporation for the welfare of schedule castes rudely questioned him as to why he had not been invited for a review meetingldquoThis baffled me as the concerned person who heads the state body had no business to question my decision to call the review meetingrdquo Kamble said The person the minister was referring to is Ramesh Kadam who heads the Annabhau Sathe development corporation for Matang SamajAfter hearing of the episode BJP ministers were taken aback and upon recovering hurriedly shot orders for redeployment Sources said the secretaries of various state departments were immediately told to issue orders to scrap the appointmentsA BJP leader said the list of scrapped appointments will be forwarded to the party leadership so the hunt may begin for ldquosuitablerdquo candidates The persons cleared by the BJP will be recommended for the vacanciesIncidentally the erstwhile coalition regime could not make appointments to all the state bodies barring some prominent ones due to internal differencesUp for a shuffleThere are at least 70plus staterun corporations boards and public enterprises where political persons or people close to political parties are appointed as chairman or nonofficial members Other than Cidco and Mhada other organisations where political appointees are set to lose their positions includegtgt state planning board where NCP man Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar is the executive chairmangtgt state womenrsquos commission headed by Congress leader Susieben Shahgtgt Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal headed by Congress leader Prabha Oza gtgt state road transport corporation headed by NCP man Jeevan Gore gtgt and othersOther state bodies where political appointments are made consist of MTDC MIDC five state irrigation corporations nonofficial members of the SSC and HSC boards four corporations for the development of backward communities fisheries development corporation regional development boards etc