The Maharshtra government has appointed Rajesh Aggarwal as the chief secretary.
Aggarwal, a 1989 batch IAS officer, has recently been repatriated from centre to state and it was believed that he will become the chief secretary.
He succeeded chief secretary Rajesh Kumar, who retires at the end of November. He is son-in-law of former BJP MP from Rajasthan.
Kumar, from the 1988 batch, was due to retire on August 30 but received a three-month extension that ends this month. He took charge as the chief secretary in June this year, after the retirement of the then chief secretary Sujata Saunik.
With the appointment of Agarwal, another contender and additional chief secretary of the Home Department, Iqbal Chahal, will miss this post as he retires in January 2026. Chahal, who earned fame while serving as Bombay Municipal Commissioner, hails from Rajasthan.
In centre, Aggarwal was serving as secretary of department of empowerment of persons with disabilities.
Aggarwal has been on central deputation for nearly a decade, having served in key departments including Financial Services, Tribal Affairs, Skill Development, Petroleum, and Social Welfare.
In Maharashtra, he earlier held posts such as collector of Akola and also worked in the Information Technology, Accounts, and Treasury departments.
Aggarwal is set to retire in November next year. After he takes charge as the chief secretary, some IAS officers from the 1989, 1990 and 1991 batches may miss the opportunity to head the state bureaucracy.
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