2024-07-01 11:20:02
Sujata Saunik taking charge as Maharashtra’s Chief Secretary on June 30, 2024
Senior IAS officer Sujata Saunik made history on June 30 by becoming Maharashtra’s first female Chief Secretary.
Ms. Saunik, a member of the 1987 IAS batch, was appointed Chief Secretary by the MahaYuti government following the retirement of incumbent Chief Secretary Nitin Kareer. She will be serving a one-year tenure before retiring in June next year.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, reportedly, unanimously appointed Ms. Saunik for the role, signalling support for women voters ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections and coinciding with the government’s recent launch of the Fourth Women Policy aimed at empowering women.
The transition of authority took place during a ceremony at Mantralaya, the State Secretariat in south Mumbai, on Sunday evening, where Mr. Kareer formally handed over the charge to Ms. Saunik.
Before her promotion to Chief Secretary, Ms. Saunik held the position of Additional Chief Secretary in the State’s Home Department. Her previous roles include Additional Chief Secretary in the General Administration Department and other departments such as public health.
She is the second woman in Maharashtra this year to assume a prominent leadership role, following Rashmi Shukla’s appointment as the Director General of Police, also the first woman to hold this position in the State’s history. Her spouse, Manoj Saunik, also a former State Chief Secretary, shares the same IAS batch.
