Nagpur: In a first for Maharashtra, chief secretary Rajesh Aggarwal was appointed guardian secretary of Gadchiroli district, elevating its administrative profile at a time when CM Devendra Fadnavis serves as the district’s guardian minister.Gadchiroli collector Avishyant Panda confirmed that a chief secretary taking over as guardian secretary was unprecedented. “This is the first time in Maharashtra that a serving chief secretary was appointed guardian secretary of a district. For Gadchiroli, it comes as a major boost as both the CM and the CS are now directly associated with the district’s administration,” Panda said. He added that the move signals the govt’s intent to accelerate development and closely monitor key projects in the region to catapult the district into a steel hub.
Aggarwal will take charge as guardian secretary of Gadchiroli, replacing additional chief secretary Milind Mhaiskar, who will now hold charge for Wardha.During a visit to Gadchiroli last month, Aggarwal remarked that the district should no longer be seen as a “punishment posting”. Back then, Aggarwal said, “Gadchiroli now offers bureaucrats a rare opportunity to work at scale, experiment with public policy, and deliver measurable outcomes on the ground.”With over 400 central and state welfare schemes, ample funding, and govt support for innovative schemes, Gadchiroli’s development landscape has completely changed. What Fadnavis now refers to as the “first district of Maharashtra” is virtually free of left-wing extremism (LWE), with major investments lined up in the mining sector, along with key infrastructure projects, including an airport and a railway connection.With his formal appointment now in place, senior officials expect closer monitoring of projects and faster administrative decision-making in the tribal-dominated district.
