Maharashtra: GAD Cracks Down On Unauthorized Appointments In Ministerial Offices; Ministers Seek CM's Intervention

The General Administration Department (GAD), which functions under the purview of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has issued show-cause notices to 3–4 government officers who were serving as Personal Secretaries (PS) or Officers on Special Duty (OSD) in ministerial offices without his formal approval.

The move has caused considerable unease within the Mahayuti alliance, as several ministers fear they may now lose trusted officers they had appointed to key positions in their offices.

According to GAD sources, certain officers were found serving in these roles without prior clearance from the Chief Minister, violating established protocol. As a result, they have been asked to explain their actions and resume their original departmental duties immediately. The department noted that these officers were assigned to important roles elsewhere in the administration, and their unauthorized deployment had left critical government work unattended.

“There are 3–4 such officers, and they’ve been directed to return to their parent departments at the earliest,” a senior official from GAD said.

The development has reportedly sparked discontent among several ministers—especially from the Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction—who are now scrambling to retain their preferred aides. According to sources, five of the seven ministers affected by the move belong to the Shinde camp, including Sanjay Rathod, Gulabrao Patil, Uday Samant, and Shambhuraj Desai. Two ministers from Ajit Pawar's NCP faction and one from the BJP are also reportedly impacted.

Personal Secretaries and OSDs are considered highly trusted aides, often handpicked by ministers to manage sensitive assignments and ensure the smooth functioning of their offices. However, Chief Minister Fadnavis has insisted that such appointments be made only after proper scrutiny and approval, particularly emphasizing that the officers must have an unblemished record.

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Some of the affected officers have held secretary-level positions in the same departments for several years, raising concerns over potential monopolization and the risk of corruption. In response, Fadnavis had earlier ordered that long-serving officers be relieved from such positions and returned to their original departments.

Despite quiet discontent, BJP ministers have largely remained silent in deference to Fadnavis' authority, even though they, too, have expressed a desire to retain trusted staff. Ministers have now begun visiting the residences of CM Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde to seek reconsideration. However, sources warn that if the officers fail to comply with the latest directive and continue working in their current posts without authorization, strict disciplinary action may follow.