Sujata Saunik still being pressured to resign: Danve

Mumbai: Maharashtra’s chief secretary Sujata Saunik is still being pressured to resign from her post while other woman bureaucrats in the state are routinely sidelined, leader of opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve has alleged.
In a letter sent to governor CP Radhakrishnan on Friday, Danve said that it was the first time in the state’s history that a woman had been appointed as chief secretary. Though she has over 30 years of experience, she is being pressured to quit the post, Danve alleged. She is likely to get a plum posting if she relents, but if she refuses, both she and her husband Manoj Saunik – who took over as MahaRERA chairperson on Friday – are likely to be framed in various cases, Danve mentioned in the letter.
Prime minister Narendra Modi had lauded Saunik while acknowledging the good work done by women bureaucrats in the state. He was then speaking at the bhoomi poojan ceremony of the Vadhavan port in Palghar district.
Danve’s letter reprised an earlier allegation levelled by Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders. They had claimed that a friend of chief minister Eknath Shinde was pressuring Saunik to apply for the state election commissioner’s post so that another IAS officer could take over as chief secretary. The state election commissioner’s post is still lying vacant.
Additionally, Danve cited several instances from the recent past where woman bureaucrats had been sidelined. Among them, additional chief secretary V Radha was arbitrarily shifted from the agriculture department to general administration following her differences with agriculture minister Dhananjay Munde. IAS officer IA Kundan was also shifted similarly from an important department to a lesser-known one.
Danve urged the governor to put an end to political interferences and ensure an unbiased administration.