IAS officer Shrikar Pardeshi appointed as secretary to Maharashtra deputy CM Fadnavis

Former municipal commissioner of Pimpri Chinchwad Dr Shrikar Pardeshi, who served in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for over five years, has been appointed as the secretary to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, an official said on Tuesday. 

Dr Pardeshi, who had returned to the parent cadre of Maharashtra last year, was posted as the managing director of the state government's SICOM.

He served in the PMO for over five years from April 2015 till June 2020 in various capacities like director and joint secretary.

Dr Pardeshi was the commissioner of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) from 2012 to 2014 when he took a firm stand against illegal constructions, earning the tag of "demolition man".

Following his transfer from the PCMC abruptly, citizens groups and political parties staged protests over his transfer by the then Congress-NCP government.

Dr Pardeshi, who had earned the reputation of being an upright officer, later served as inspector general, Registration and Controller of Stamps (IGR) and was also made Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of then-ailing Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML).

Speaking to PTI, Dr Pardeshi said, "I was posted as the MD, SICOM between June 1 and June 30, last year. After that, I went to John Hopkins University to pursue a Master's degree in public health."

Dr Pardeshi also pursued a Master's degree in public administration at Harvard University after his stint in the PMO.

"I have been posted as the secretary to the office of Maharashtra deputy chief minister," he said.

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