Mumbai, August 26: In a significant move aimed at maintaining discipline and transparency, the Maharashtra government has issued a strict order to cancel all informal, verbal, and irregular postings within the state secretariat and ministerial offices. This directive was released on Tuesday by Chief Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, under the authority of the Governor and approved by the Chief Minister.
The order expresses concern over the negative impact of unauthorized appointments on operational security, administrative standards, and governance. According to the General Administration Department (GAD), a large number of staff, including doctors, engineers, stenographers, and teachers, were deployed based on informal arrangements or external contracts without proper authorization from their original departments, additional chief secretaries, or the Chief Minister.
The directive highlights that essential verifications, such as integrity certificates, character verification, confidential performance reports, and departmental investigations, were not conducted. Many of the transferred employees lacked adequate administrative training for secretariat-level operations, adversely affecting governance.
Informal transfers have also created dual vacancies, destabilizing operations in original departments and rendering previous training investments ineffective. The practice of extending contracts for retired employees from older cadres has been deemed inappropriate.
To rectify this situation, the state administration has mandated the immediate cancellation of all irregular, verbal, and borrowed appointments within ministerial offices and departments. Employees must return to their original cadres by September 10, 2026.
Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) have been instructed to withhold salaries for those who do not assume their duties by September 15, 2026. Access to secretariat entry passes, facial recognition systems, and digital attendance for affected employees will be revoked until September 20, 2026.
Secretaries of all departments are required to submit compliance reports to the Chief Secretary’s office. Non-compliance will lead to disciplinary action under the MCSR (Discipline and Appeal) Rules of 1979.
The order also emphasizes that any additional staffing needs within ministerial offices must strictly adhere to official GAD guidelines. Proposals for the creation, conversion, or upgrading of positions must be sent to the GAD desk through the Chief Secretary for the Chief Minister’s approval. The government has also announced plans to establish a dedicated administrative framework to review approved vacant positions and streamline training, promotions, and cadre management.
The directive underscores that critical protocols were bypassed in informal appointments, leading to operational and security risks. External staff brought in through verbal orders, including technical personnel, stenographers, engineers, and teachers, lacked the necessary training, resulting in delays and vacancies in their original departments.
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S.C.H.
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