Pune: Maharashtra Disability Commissioner Post Held by 56 Officers in 25 Years, Only Two Completed Tenure
Pune, 3rd December 2025: The post of State Disability Commissioner — responsible for safeguarding the rights of lakhs of persons with disabilities — continues to suffer due to administrative apathy, with frequent transfers and the practice of assigning additional charge preventing long-term planning and effective execution of welfare schemes.
A review of the past 25 years shows that 56 officers have occupied the post, many of them holding it only as an additional responsibility. Only two officials have completed the mandated three-year tenure since the office was set up.
The Disability Welfare Commissionerate was established in 2000 to oversee welfare and rehabilitation initiatives in Maharashtra. However, from the first commissioner C. A. Pathak — who was transferred within 18 months of taking charge — to the present day, the department has lacked stability. The post has now remained vacant for the last three months and is currently handled as an additional charge by Mahesh Patil, Managing Director of SARTHI.
Disability rights activists argue that this chronic administrative instability has stalled crucial decisions related to pensions, education benefits, rehabilitation support and the resolution of pending grievances. “New commissioners barely understand the system before they are transferred again. There is no continuity. This directly affects delivery of services to persons with disabilities,” activists said.
According to the 2011 Census, Maharashtra has around 30 lakh persons with disabilities. With additional categories recognised under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, activists estimate the current number may be closer to 70–80 lakh. Despite this massive responsibility, the Commissionerate itself struggles with inadequate space, limited manpower and basic infrastructure issues at its Pune Station office.
Haridas Ashok Shinde, president of the Joint Disability Rights Protection Committee, said that while the 2016 Act grants significant powers to the State Commissioner, these powers have not been fully utilised due to unstable leadership. He said the government must appoint a commissioner who is either a person with disability or someone with proven expertise in the rehabilitation sector.
Former Kamayani Intellectual Disability School manager Kalidas Supate added that only 25 percent of states in India appoint IAS officers as disability commissioners, while most prefer domain experts. “This approach has helped persons with disabilities immensely. Maharashtra should follow the same model,” he said.
