In a minor yet significant bureaucratic reshuffle, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday transferred and appointed seven senior IAS officers to new positions across the state.
According to an official notification, Ratnagiri District Collector M. Devendra Singh has been appointed as Member Secretary of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) in Mumbai. Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh has been posted as Commissioner of the Kumbh Mela, Nashik, ahead of the 2027 Simhastha preparations.
Nashik District Collector Jalaj Sharma will now serve as the Metropolitan Commissioner of the Nashik Metropolitan Region Development Authority (NMRDA), while Jalgaon Collector Ayush Prasad has been transferred to Nashik as the new District Collector.
Rohan Ghughe, Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Parishad, Thane, will take over as Jalgaon District Collector, replacing Prasad. Sanjay Kolte, Managing Director of Shivshahi Punarvasan Prakalp Ltd (SRPL), Mumbai, has been appointed as Sugar Commissioner in Pune, a post that had remained vacant. Manoj Jindal, Joint Managing Director of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), Mumbai, will assume charge as Ratnagiri District Collector.
The reshuffle follows a high-level review meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to assess preparations for the Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2027. Fadnavis underscored the cultural and administrative significance of the event, calling for early coordination between departments.
These postings come at a crucial time as Maharashtra prepares for long-pending local body elections, expected to be held after Diwali. The elections will test the political strength of major parties amid widespread administrative control by appointed officials.
The Supreme Court has directed the state to complete elections for 29 municipal corporations, 32 of 34 Zilla Parishads, 248 municipal councils, and 336 of 351 Panchayat Samitis by January 31, 2026.
