Retired deputy municipal commissioner returns to BMC on contract

In a notable move by the state government, the contractual appointment of Ulhas Mahale, former deputy municipal commissioner (DMC) for infrastructure, was approved over a month after his retirement from the post. The approval came from the state urban development department last Saturday, coinciding with the commencement of the model code of conduct. Mahale, who retired in January 2024, oversaw critical infrastructure projects such as roads, stormwater drains, and bridges in the city. This appointment marks the first instance of a DMC returning on contract, according to senior civic officials. Reportedly, Mahale enjoyed favour from IS Chahal, BMC Chief, and Eknath Shinde, Chief Minister, due to his handling of key projects. He was under the supervision of additional municipal commissioner (projects) P Velrasu. Contractual appointments are governed by a General Administration Department (GAD) order dated 17 December 2016. However, the Government Resolution (GR) specifies that such appointments are intended for specific or restricted tasks, not regular duties. Sainath Rajadhyaksha from the Municipal Engineers Union suggested that rather than making exceptions for individuals like Mahale, the retirement age for all engineers should be increased to 60. He emphasized that this policy should apply universally rather than allowing backdoor entries for a select few. In the past, several retired civic officials, including Sudhir Naik, Parag Masurkar, Dr. Kishore Khsirsagar, Devendra Jain, and Kiran Achrekar, were appointed as Officers on Special Duty (OSDs) after retirement. However, they were not appointed to regular sanctioned positions.