Daijiworld Media Network - Pune
Pune, Oct 12: The Maharashtra government has formed a committee to overhaul the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC), appointing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe as its secretary amid an ongoing agitation by civil service aspirants in Pune.
State minister Shivendraraje Bhosale announced the decision on Sunday after meeting the protesting aspirants at SM Joshi Bridge, where the agitation has been continuing for the past 10 days.
Former judge Dilip Bhosale will head the committee, which also includes Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Laxmi Gautam, former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Ganesh Patil and retired judge P D Naik. Mundhe's appointment as secretary is expected to be a key part of the committee's efforts to examine the functioning of the commission and address the concerns raised by aspirants.
The minister said the government would also consider the protesters' other demands, including the withdrawal of cases registered against some representatives of the agitation, recruitment to 70,000 posts over the next three years and an increase in the number of vacancies for the Group C examination scheduled for January.
The aspirants have also demanded background checks on the MPSC chairman and secretary before their appointments, seeking greater transparency in the commission's functioning.
However, the state government's decision on the demand for the removal of MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimnawar remained unclear.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar, who has been supporting the agitation, welcomed Mundhe's inclusion in the committee.
Expressing hope that the panel would be allowed to function independently, Pawar said, "We hope that the committee will have the freedom to work properly."
The agitation has highlighted the concerns of candidates over recruitment procedures, vacancies and the functioning of the state recruitment body. The government has announced the committee's formation amid pressure from aspirants seeking reforms and action on their demands.