Tukaram Mundhe appointed panel secretary to overhaul MPSC
What's the story
The Maharashtra government on Sunday formed a committee to recommend reforms in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC). The committee will be headed by former Bombay High Court judge Dilip Bhosale and will include Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe as its secretary. The decision comes after a 10-day protest by aspirants in Pune, who demanded reforms in the state recruitment body. They ended their strike after the Maharashtra government formed the committee.
Demand resolution
Protesters agitated for several days
The panel will probe alleged irregularities, including paper leaks, in the recruitment body.
The protesters had been agitating at SM Joshi Bridge over several issues, including the demand for reforms in MPSC.
The government has also assured that other demands of the protesters would be met. These include withdrawing cases against some representatives of the agitation, recruiting 70,000 candidates over three years and increasing vacancies in the Group C examination.
Demand fulfillment
Committee expected to complete its work within 60 days
However, it is still unclear if any decision has been taken on their demand for MPSC chairman Vivek Bhimnawar's removal.
The committee is expected to complete its work within 60 days.
State minister Shivendraraje Bhosale met the protesters on Sunday to convey the government's decision and appealed to the protesters to call off their agitation.
Following the assurance by the government, Vivekanad Patil, one of the representatives of the MPSC aspirants, said they had called off the agitation for now.
Reputation impact
Mundhe known for his integrity
Mundhe's appointment is significant, as he is known for his integrity and has taken action against illegal activities in the past.
His career includes tackling illegal sand mining, encroachments, and misuse of public funds. He has also worked on water supply issues and reduced teacher absenteeism.
Of late, Mundhe, who is also the commissioner of Food and Drug Administration, has made headlines for cracking down on unhygienic eateries and restaurants, shutting down and suspending scores of licenses across Maharashtra.