Mumbai, March 9 The Maharashtra government on Monday indicated that the suspension of M Devender Singh, a 2011-batch IAS officer and Member Secretary of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), is likely to be withdrawn.
This comes after high-level discussions in the Legislative Assembly involving senior ministers and the Chief Minister.
The controversy began with a heated discussion regarding the alarming rise in pollution levels in the Chandrapur district.
Environment Minister Pankaja Munde informed the House that despite the gravity of the environmental crisis, several high-ranking MPCB officials had consistently failed to attend crucial review meetings.
Minister Munde specifically highlighted that M Devender Singh did not appear for a mandatory briefing despite direct orders.
Taking a stern view of this perceived insubordination and neglect of a sensitive public issue, Presiding Officer Dilip Lande had recently ordered the immediate suspension of M Devender Singh and Joint Director Satish Padwal.
Consequently, the General Administration Department, under the signature of Additional Secretary V Radha, suspended both officers pending disciplinary action.
The narrative took a turn during the recent budget session proceedings, when senior BJP leader and Minister Chandrakant Patil raised the matter in the Assembly. He informed the House that IAS officer M Devender Singh had submitted evidence regarding his absence and expressed his sincere regrets for the incident.
Following this clarification, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly suggested that the government initiate the process to revoke the suspension.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis responded to the floor, stating that "appropriate action will be taken in this regard," signalling a likely reversal of the disciplinary measure.
While the official orders were initially issued due to a lack of communication during a critical briefing on Chandrapur’s environment, the formal apology and the intervention of senior leadership suggest that both M Devender Singh and Satish Padwal may soon be reinstated to their positions.
--IANS
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