The Maharashtra government on Sunday formed a committee to overhaul the MPSC: Reports
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) chairman Vivek Bhimanwar stepped down on Monday after the state government formed a committee to investigate allegations of a question paper leak. Meanwhile, MPSC aspirants who had been protesting in Pune for the past 10 days called off their agitation following the development.
The Maharashtra government on Sunday formed a committee to overhaul the MPSC. The committee will have former judge Dilip Bhosale as its chairman and FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe as its secretary. Besides, it will have IPS officer Laxmi Gautam, former IAS officer Ganesh Patil and retired judge P D Naik.
The decision was conveyed by state minister Shivendraraje Bhosale, who met the aspirants at SM Joshi Bridge, where the protest has been underway for the past 10 days over various demands, including reforms in the MPSC.
Mr. Bhosale told the protesters that their other demands would also be addressed. These included the withdrawal of cases against some representatives of the agitation, recruitment to 70,000 posts over three years, an increase in the number of seats in the Group C examination scheduled for January, and background checks on the MPSC chairman and secretary before their appointment.
Following the government’s announcement and assurance, the protesters ended their 10-days agitation late on Sunday night.
Meanwhile, Mr. Bhimanwar, in a post on X, said he had proceeded on leave. “The state government has announced a judicial inquiry into the MPSC paper leak case. Throughout my entire life, I have always prioritised ethics. Therefore, I have decided to go on leave during this period instead of continuing to serve in the post until this inquiry is completed,” he said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defended Mr. Bhimanwar, asserting that he was in no way connected to the paper leak controversy, but welcomed his decision to go on leave on “moral grounds”. BJP’s chief spokesperson, Navnath Ban, alleged that the protest by MPSC aspirants was politically motivated despite Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accepting all demands from day one.
“The entire issue had nothing to do with Bhimanwar. No paper leak had occurred during his tenure as chairman. Nevertheless, he decided to go on leave on moral grounds. I wholeheartedly welcome his decision and thank him,” Mr. Ban said.
