Pune: Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal Orders Re-Appointment of Dr Bhagwan Pawar As PMC Health Officer
Pune, 19th October 2023: In a turn of events that has caught the attention of the local administration, the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) has ordered the immediate re-appointment of Dr. Bhagwan Pawar to his previous post. The order comes after Dr. Pawar was abruptly transferred, a decision that sparked debate within the Pune municipal corporation (PMC).
Dr. Pawar had initially been appointed by the state government in March 2023, succeeding Dr. Ashish Bharti as the Zilla Parishad Health Officer. This came after Dr. Ashish Banginwar, dean of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College, was caught red-handed accepting a bribe. However, only five months into his role, Dr. Pawar was transferred to the position of Assistant Director of Blindness Control Program of the State Government.
Unsatisfied with the sudden transfer, Dr. Pawar appealed to the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT). After a hearing, MAT ruled in Dr. Pawar’s favor, ordering his immediate re-appointment to his previous post.
Upon receiving MAT’s decision, the Municipal Corporation consulted the Urban Development Department of the State Government for further instructions. Priyanka Kulkarni, Deputy Secretary of the Urban Development Department, confirmed that Dr. Pawar has been directed to rejoin as the health chief of the municipal corporation.
The State Government also took the opportunity to issue a warning to the Municipal Corporation, cautioning against unnecessary delays in implementing MAT’s clear directives. “The orders of the MAT are clear, and further input from the Urban Development Department is not required. Therefore, the government has warned the municipal corporation not to waste time with unnecessary correspondence,” said Kulkarni.
The order for Dr. Pawar’s re-appointment not only puts an end to the debate within the municipal corporation but also serves as a precedent for administrative procedures going forward. Compliance with the MAT’s ruling is now awaited as Dr. Pawar is set to rejoin his former position as health chief.
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