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Mumbai: The state govt cleared the appointment of private secretaries (PSs) and officers on special duty (OSDs) for 38 ministers, including the two DCMs — Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. Over a month after being sworn in, ministers are yet to get full-time staffers in their offices. In a recent govt resolution (GR), the state govt stated that private persons appointed on the establishment of DCMs, cabinet ministers, and ministers of state will require written permission from the CMO. Senior bureaucrats mentioned that a large chunk of PSs and PAs from the previous MahaYuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) govt were not reappointed, and the CM is keen on giving new officers a chance.
Officials said the appointment of PSs and OSDs for a few more ministers is yet to be approved. The general administration dept, led by CM Devendra Fadnavis, on Tuesday approved a jumbo secretariat for his office as well as for the office of deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. When Shinde was CM, the total strength of the secretariat was 148, which has now been increased to 164, while for the DCMs, it will be 72, 16 for cabinet ministers, and 14 for ministers of state.
“In view of increased work pressure, we need more people. In fact, even 164 is a meagre strength. We need at least 200 officials to run the CMO,” a senior bureaucrat said. The govt resolution issued on Tuesday stated that the CMO will have a total staff of 164, including three bureaucrats — additional chief secretary and an equal number of principal secretary and secretary. In addition, the CM will have 10 officers on special duty. The DCMs too will have a principal secretary and secretary rank bureaucrat in the secretariat and seven officers on special duty. In addition, the CM and both the DCMs will have two public information officers, all drawn from the directorate general of information and public relations (DGIPR). Even cabinet members will have three officers on special duty.
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