Key Points

Rajesh Kumar Meena, an IAS of the 1988 batch, took over as the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra on June 30 from the outgoing Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik. He will now continue until November 30.

The Centre’s approval for extension comes when the State Election Commission and the government have launched preparations for the long-pending elections to the local and civic bodies, which are expected after the Diwali festival.

Ministry of Personnel and Training Under Secretary Bhupinder Pal Singh in a letter addressed to the state additional chief secretary (General Administration Department said, “I am directed to refer to the proposal of Government of Maharashtra dated August 28, 2025 on the subject relating to extension of services to Rajesh Kumar, Chief Secretary and to convey the approval of the Central Government for a period of three months from September 1 to November 30, 2025 under Rule 16(1) of IAS (DCRB) Rules, 1958.”

With the three-month extension, Rajesh Kumar will pursue the effective implementation of the state government’s 150-day programme to carry out a slew of initiatives aimed at administrative and procedural reforms up to the grassroots. Besides, he will have to focus on the implementation of the MoUs of over Rs 15 lakh crore signed during the World Economic Forum summit at Davos in January this year. He will also have to pay attention to the initiatives launched or in the pipeline to achieve Maharashtra’s trillion-dollar economy mission by 2030, and also Viksit Maharashtra 2047.

Further, Rajesh Kumar will coordinate various departments and district collectors to implement the Rs 86,300 crore Shaktipeeth Mahamarg, especially when farmers and opposition parties are stepping up their protests against it.

Even though the state government has scrapped two government resolutions on the introduction of Hindi as a third language, along with Marathi and English, from Class one, the chief secretary will have to keep an eye on the functioning of the high-level committee headed by former Planning Commission member Dr Narendra Jadhav on the implementation of the trilingual formula in the state.

Before becoming the Chief Secretary, he was the additional chief secretary of the revenue department, and he has also held the post of additional chief secretary of the cooperation department, additional chief secretary of rural development and industry, energy and labour departments.

He also worked as the principal secretary of water supply and cleanliness, commissioner of the Integrated Child Development Scheme and tribal development. He had worked as the municipal commissioner of the Solapur civic body and the Osmanabad district collector.

Meanwhile, with extension to Rajesh Kumar, the wait for the additional chief secretary (home), Iqbal Chahal, gets longer to become the chief secretary. Chahal was one of the top candidates being considered as Rajesh Kumar’s successor. Chahal will retire in January 2026.

- IANS