Mumbai: After missing the bus for the post of the state chief secretary twice, senior IAS officer I S Chahal has been named as chairman of the Mumbai police housing township project with a minister of state (MoS) rank upon his retirement on Jan 31. He will be the second bureaucrat after former IAS officer Praveen Pardeshi to get an MoS rank after retirement in the current govt.The state govt issued a notification on the appointment. Chahal, who is currently additional chief secretary (home) to the project, will have a five-year tenure in his new posting. Pardeshi is CEO of Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (Mitra) and was appointed CM’s chief economic adviser with an MoS rank last year. Chahal, a 1989 batch IAS officer, will be provided with a fully furnished office chamber at Mantralaya or at a suitable place, govt bungalow/residential accommodation in Mumbai befitting the rank of an MoS, and a staff car for official travel within Mumbai and for project-related work outside. He had been the frontrunner for the chief secretary’s post last year, but Rajesh Kumar Meena was granted an extension. Chahal lost out a second time to Rajesh Aggarwal. Other top babus like Bhushan Gagrani, Anil Diggikar, Deepak Kapoor and O P Gupta also missed the chance to become chief secretary as they all retire before Aggarwal does in Nov this year. Meeta Lochan, an IAS officer of the 1990 batch who is currently on central deputation, retires in Aug. The Mumbai police housing township project is a govt initiative to provide quality residential accommodation to Mumbai police personnel and their families, ensuring improved living conditions and welfare of the police force. “The project involves large-scale planning, land acquisition, coordination with multiple govt agencies, infrastructure development, financial management, and time-bound execution requiring high-level administrative experience and expertise. Govt considers it expedient and necessary to appoint a senior retired officer of proven administrative competence to provide strategic leadership, oversight and coordination for the successful and timely implementation of the project. I S Chahal possesses extensive experience in administration, project management and coordination with central and state agencies, and has an impeccable record of public service spanning 36 years,” stated the notification issued by the home department.
