Latest news with #GeneralAdministrationDepartment
NDTV
3 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
2 Appointments For Same Post In A Day Sparks Devendra Fadnavis-Eknath Shinde Rift Buzz
Mumbai: A fresh flashpoint has emerged between Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy Eknath Shinde, this time over the appointment of the General Manager of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST). On August 5, two separate appointment letters were issued by the Maharashtra government, each naming a different officer to the same post. The Urban Development Department, under Mr Shinde, appointed Ashwini Joshi as the new General Manager of BEST. However, just hours later, the General Administration Department, headed by Mr Fadnavis, issued another circular, appointing Ashish Sharma to the same position. When Mr Fadnavis was asked the reason for the confusion, he said, "I don't make decisions about BEST, it is done by the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation)". The Urban Development Department, meanwhile, has clarified and said that no official order was issued about Ms Joshi's appointment. After the former general manager, SVR Srinivas, retired on July 31, it was "necessary to assign the post's additional charge until a regular appointment was made by the General Administration Department", over a planned protest by the BEST Workers' Union, it said. "To manage the situation concerning the workers' protest, the Urban Development Department was in the process of issuing orders to assign the additional charge of General Manager, BEST, to Ms Ashwini Joshi (IAS). However, in the meantime, the General Administration Department, through its order dated August 5, 2025, assigned the additional charge to Mr Ashish Sharma (IAS)," the department said. Kaamgar Sena Slams Government Over Confusion The Kaamgar Sena, a BEST workers' union affiliated with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), said the incident reflects the deep administrative confusion and reluctance among IAS officers to take over the crumbling institution. "The government issued an order assigning the additional charge of BEST to Mumbai Municipal Corporation Additional Commissioner Ashwini Joshi. It appears that she declined to take charge of BEST, as the same night Ashish Sharma, who already holds the charge of Goods and Services Tax (GST), was handed over additional charge of BEST as well," said Suhas Samant of the Kaamgar Sena. When Mr Fadnavis was asked the reason for the confusion, he said, "I don't make decisions about BEST, it is done by the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation)". Opposition Alleges Turf War Within Government Congress state president Harshwardhan Sapkal took to X, calling the situation a "gang war" between the CM and DCM to place their loyalists in "malaidaar" or plum positions. "A gang war is ongoing between Chief Minister Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis over the transfer of officials. For a single post, appointments of two different officials are being made on the same day. Seeing this struggle to place people in lucrative positions, the public is left wondering whether it is a government or a turf war," he wrote. The developments come as Eknath Shinde travels to Delhi for the second time in a week, fueling speculation that Mr Fadnavis' increasing control over ministers and action against Shinde's loyalists may be one of the reasons behind the visit. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray hit out at the Mahayuti Government over the two appointments and claimed that the coordination between the Chief Minister and his deputy "is already dead". "CM's GAD (The official dept for posts and transfers) has issued orders to one name as administrator, while the Gaddaarnath's UD department has issued orders to another name," he posted on X. "Shouldn't the DCM have first discussed this with CM? Shouldn't the GAD be issuing these orders? Why should our State suffer in this ego war?" asked Mr Thackeray. So the BEST is being killed by the state government on purpose, but what is worse is the coordination between CM and Gaddaarnath Mindhe is already dead. CM's GAD (The official dept for posts and transfers) has issued orders to one name as administrator, while the Gaddaarnath's… — Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 6, 2025 UBT-MNS Alliance Ahead of BEST Credit Society Polls In a show of strength, the BEST wing of the UBT and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena have officially come together ahead of the BEST workers' credit society elections on August 18. "As per directives from senior leadership, both leaders have now decided that every future battle within BEST will be fought jointly by the BEST Kamgar Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman BEST Karmachari Sena," read a statement. Mumbai Congress Flags Worker Issues, Demands SIT Probe Meanwhile, the Mumbai Congress has also weighed in on the ongoing crisis. Former corporator Shital Mhatre pointed to delayed salaries, poor fire safety checks, and the lack of new bus orders, calling them "very dangerous" for the future of the undertaking. Congress also demanded an SIT to investigate alleged misappropriation of funds and the use of BEST land for private purposes.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Elections round the corner, Bihar gets a new Chief Secretary: Who is Pratyaya Amrit?
Bihar Development Commissioner Pratyaya Amrit, credited with improving road condition and power supply in the state, has been appointed as the next chief secretary, an official notification said on Monday. He will succeed Amrit Lal Meena who retires on August 31. The notification issued by Additional Chief Secretary, General Administration Department, B Rajinder states: 'Pratyaya Amrit, development commissioner with additional charge of additional chief secretary, health and disaster management is transferred and appointed chief secretary with effect from 1 September, 2025, in view of retirement of present chief secretary Amrit Lal Meena on 31 August, 2025.' In his career, Pratyaya Amrit has handled many crucial assignments. He has been among the key IAS officers, including R K Singh (former Union minister) and Amir Subhani (former chief secretary), entrusted with boosting governance and overhauling infrastructure. First as secretary of the road construction department and later as energy department secretary, Pratyaya Amrit has been instrumental in constructing major roads in Bihar, including the state government's flagship Ganga Path and AIIMS-Digha flyover. Before the 2015 Assembly polls, the 1991-batch officer played a key role in strengthening power supply till village level in the state. In 2011, Pratyaya Amrit was the only IAS officer picked by the government in the individual category for the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration. During the Covid-19 second wave in 2021, he took over as Principal Secretary, Health Department, and played a key role in curbing the rise of new cases and containing the spread of the virus. Pratyaya Amrit's appointment as Bihar Chief Secretary assumes significance as the state is going to polls this year end.
News18
29-07-2025
- General
- News18
Sucess Story: Bihar Farmer's Son Clears UGC NET For Fourth Consecutive Time
Last Updated: Success Story: Pankaj Kumar Sah passed the UGC-NET exam for the fourth consecutive time while working. He is set to become a professor soon. If you approach any task with genuine hard work and dedication, you may initially face struggles, but success is guaranteed. This is exemplified by the story of Pankaj Kumar Sah from Dhamdaha Chandrahi, Purnia, Bihar who endured many challenges to achieve his dream and ultimately succeeded. Pankaj Kumar Sah, the son of Yogendra Prasad Sah, a farmer from Chandrahi Ward No. 15 in Dhamdaha, Purnia district, balanced his studies while assisting his father in farming. He passed the UGC-NET exam for the fourth consecutive time while working. He is set to become a professor soon. Pankaj expressed pride in rising from humble beginnings to passing a national-level exam. An acquaintance informed him of the results, and upon checking, he discovered he had been selected for the Assistant Professor position. He cleared the exam first in June 2020, then in 2023, again in June 2024, and now for the fourth time in June 2025. He currently works in the General Administration Department and aims to become a professor soon. Pankaj mentioned that while he serves people through his role in the General Administration Department, he aspires to fulfil his dream by contributing to the education sector. Pankaj revealed that he effectively used his spare time for studying. His daily bus commute of 1 hour for over 30 kilometres to his workplace was dedicated to studying. He continued his studies at home at night after return from office. He also helped his father with farming. He advised young people that no exam is too big and that nothing is greater than a human being. With hard work, success can be easily attained. Meanwhile, Nilufa Yasmin, a resident of Palita Road area in Katwa, Purba Burdwan, West Bengal has secured rank 1 in the UGC NET JRF 2025. She achieved a perfect 100 percentile score in the exam. She has been focused on her studies from the beginning, consistently achieving good results in school, college, and at the postgraduate level. Her love for teaching made her pursue it as a career goal. With that aim, she began preparing for the UGC NET and JRF exams. view comments First Published: July 29, 2025, 17:16 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NDTV
29-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Maharashtra Issues Social Media Guidelines For Employees To Curb Leaks
Mumbai: In a move to curb any potential dissemination of confidential information, the Maharashtra government has issued new social media usage guidelines for its employees, warning that disciplinary action will be taken against anyone violating the new rules, an official notification from the Maharashtra government read. The new guidelines also state that the employees should not criticise the policies or actions of the state government, or of any other government in India The General Administration Department of the state issued a circular on July 28 under the Maharashtra Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1979, saying that the increasing prevalence and convenience of social media sites and instant messaging, like Facebook, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Telegram, have created the "dangers" of dissemination of confidential information and spreading of misleading information, the statement said. However, the government has allowed employees to use messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram to coordinate and contact others for 'intra-office work.' The rules state that all state government employees, even contractual employees, should "use social media consciously and responsibly" and keep their work and personal social media accounts separate. The state's admin department has also said that officers and employees might post about successful efforts regarding any schemes or initiatives; however, the posts should not be done for self-praise but rather to highlight the schemes. Similarly, with any text posts made, the government has said to focus on the initiatives rather than praise. The rules have banned the employees from showing government logos, uniforms, official vehicles, or other buildings in photos, except for in profile photos of their accounts. According to the notification, the General Administration department has also said that only an authorised person will be allowed to use the official government social media accounts. The new guidelines will be applicable to officers and employees of the Maharashtra government, including anyone on a contractual basis or by delegation; employees in local bodies, boards, corporations, and public undertakings.
Scroll.in
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Maharashtra bars government employees from criticising its policies on social media
Maharashtra has barred government employees from criticising the policies of past or present governments in the state and at the Centre on social media, PTI quoted a new directive from the General Administration Department as saying on Monday. The directive applies to all state government employees, including those on deputation, working on contract or recruited through external agencies. The restrictions also extend to staff of local self-government bodies, corporations, boards and public sector undertakings. The order instructs government staff to use social media 'consciously and responsibly', warning that violations will be treated as a breach of 1979 Maharashtra Civil Services Conduct Rules and will invite disciplinary action, PTI reported. Employees have also been told to maintain separate social media accounts for personal and official use and avoid overlap between private opinions and official duties, The Indian Express reported. The directive prohibits 'posting, sharing or forwarding of any objectionable, hateful, defamatory or discriminatory content'. It also bars employees from uploading or forwarding 'confidential or official documents', in part or whole, on any platform without authorisation. 'Only authorised personnel, and that too with prior approval from competent authorities, are permitted to disseminate or promote government schemes, programmes and initiatives via official digital channels,' the newspaper quoted the government resolution as saying. The use of 'unofficial platforms' for outreach activities has also been barred. 'Messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram may be used for internal coordination and communication, but not for external outreach or unauthorised information sharing,' the order added. The circular also prohibits employees from using social media for self-promotion. 'While employees are permitted to share updates about collective efforts or successful implementation of schemes, care must be taken to avoid any form of self-praise or individual glorification,' The Indian Express quoted the government resolution as saying. Officials may highlight 'noteworthy government work, but the content must not be self-congratulatory in nature', it added. On personal social media accounts, government staff have been told not to use 'government identity' markers. 'Apart from profile pictures, government designations, logos, uniforms, buildings, vehicles or any official property must not be featured in photos, videos or reels,' the directive said. The officials are supposed to hand over the official social media account to their successor upon retirement or transfer. Government employees have also been prohibited from using apps, websites or platforms that are banned by the state of the Centre, even in their personal capacity.
