Mumbai: In a major embarrassment, the state government on Wednesday stayed the transfer of IAS officer Dr Ashwini Joshi from additional municipal commissioner in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to additional metropolitan commissioner in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The state government also stayed IAS officer Prajakta Verma’s appointment as additional municipal commissioner in the BMC in place of Joshi.
Officials said that Joshi was handling the work related to Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and so her transfer was stayed since prior permission of the Election Commission (EC) was not taken.
“Your transfer orders are being kept in abeyance till further orders. Therefore, you will continue to work in your current capacity,” a state government order to Joshi said. Joshi is an IAS officer of the 2006 batch. While Joshi has been asked to continue in her BMC posting, Verma has been kept in waiting without any new posting.
A senior bureaucrat said staying the order within 24 hours was a major embarrassment for the state government. “It shows that due diligence was not done by the officers in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) before issuing the orders. Staying transfer orders of senior IAS officers, especially in organisations like BMC and MMRDA, reflects very poorly on the state government’s general administration department and CMO. Proper verification should have been done before issuing the transfer orders. If there was a need to consult the Election Commission of India (ECI), then it should have been done beforehand. Now, the MMRDA will remain without an additional metropolitan commissioner till someone new is appointed,” the bureaucrat said.
Currently, IAS officers Shrikar Pardeshi and Lokesh Chandra are posted in the CM’s office as principal secretary and additional chief secretary, respectively.
On Wednesday, Joshi was in her office in BMC and also attended a civic event in the evening. At the BMC, she oversaw the municipal elections held in January 2026, and also headed other crucial departments namely property tax, general administration, fire brigade, solid waste management and the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls.
Verma is an IAS officer of the 2001 batch. Additional metropolitan commissioner Ashwin Mudgal was posted as managing director (VC & MD) of the City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) replacing Vijay Singhal. Singhal has been posted as CEO and officer on special duty for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP).
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