On Thursday, the Maharashtra Government appointed SVR Srinivas as Metropolitan Commissioner of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). Srinivas replaced RA Rajeev, who was refused a second three-month addition by the state government. Rajeev had retired in February 2021 and had been given a three-month contract to be in charge of the MMRDA. SVR Srinivas, an IAS officer of the 1991 batch, previously served in both MMRDA and BMC as an additional commissioner. Milind Mhaiskar, Forest Secretary, who was also in contention for the post of Metropolitan Commissioner, will substitute Srinivas now as the state’s new housing secretary. B Venugopal Reddy, the Managing Director of SICOM, is appointed as the new Forest Secretary. Lokesh Chandra is appointed as the General Manager for BEST, replacing Surendra Bagade, who went on central deputation. Vikas Chandra Rastogi, the Project Director of Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjeevani project, based in Mumbai, is appointed as the Principal Secretary of the General Administration Department in Mantralaya. SN Bhange, the Managing Director of Maharashtra State Fisheries Development Corporation, Mumbai, is selected as the Secretary (SDC) and Special Enquiry Officer (2) in GAD. Dr Shrikar Pardeshi, who served in the Prime Minister’s Office, is appointed as the Managing Director at SICOM in Mumbai. Deepak Kumar, Gondia Collector, Meena, is selected to be the Deputy Secretary of the Bahujan Welfare and OBC Department. The state government has not yet decided the fate of Radheshyam Mopalwar, who, despite retiring in 2018, has received various extensions as Managing Director of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation. Image SourceAlso read: Sonia Sethi to hold additional charge of MMRDA commissioner