Despite IAS reshuffle, BEST leadership vacuum continues

Mumbai: For the first time in the recent past, BEST is headless for more than a week. Following the Dec 9 bus accident in Kurla, in which nine innocent persons lost their lives, BEST General Manager Anil Diggikar was shunted out due to his failure to provide leadership. Industries secretary Harshadeep Kample was posted in his place on Dec 24, but he never joined BEST. His colleagues felt BEST General Manager post is much below the post of Industries Secretary, and therefore, Kample was reluctant to take up the new assignment.On Thu, the general administration department, led by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, modified the Dec 24 order and posted Kamble in the social justice department, while no one has yet been posted as BEST General Manager. "It appears that there are no takers for the BEST General Manager post. The CM should consider entrusting additional charge to one of the additional commissioners in BMC. It is unfortunate that BEST is headless for such a long period," a senior bureaucrat told TOI.Along with Kamble, Fadnavis reshuffled 10 senior IAS officers. State IT Corporation Managing Director Jaysashree Bhoj has been posted as principal secretary, Food and Civil Supplies, in place of Ranjeet Deol. Satara collector Jitendra Duddi has been posted as collector, Pune, in place of Suhas Dhiwase, who will be the new settlement commissioner. Labour secretary Vinita Ved Singhal will be the new environment secretary in place of Pravin Darade. School education secretary I A Kundan will be the new labour secretary. Public health secretary Milind Mhaiskar will be the new forest secretary in place of Venu Gopal Reddy, who has been posted in the department of higher and technical education. Nipun Vinayak will be the public health secretary in place of Mhaiskar. Pune zilla parishad CEO Santosh Patil will be the new collector Satara, while higher and technical education secretary Vikaschandra Rastogi will be the new agriculture secretary.