Mumbai/Nashik (Maharashtra): For the first time in the history of Maharashtra - the top three officers - Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP) and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests are women.
Maharashtra Chief Secretary is Sujata Saunik, a 1987-batch IAS officer. Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) is Rashmi Shukla, a 1988-batch IPS officer while the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests in the state is Shomita Biswas, a 1988-batch Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer.
This is the first time in Maharashtra, that a woman is the administrative head of the state. Sujata Saunik's husband Manoj Saunik retired as the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra in 2023.
This could be the first time that a husband and wife have been appointed as Chief Secretary of any state. Before assuming responsibility as Chief Secretary, Sujata Saunik served as Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department and General Administration Department.
She is a 2017-2018 Techmi Fellow at the TH Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University. She also completed a fellowship from The Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute in 2019 on public health, climate change and disaster management issues.
Saunik has also authored the book 'Deconstructing the Kumbh Mela: Nashik - Trimbakeshwar 2015 - A Public Health Perspective'.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Saunik said she was happy that a woman was working as the Chief Secretary. "All the women should complete their education and they should work in the fields that they like," Saunik quipped.
She said that the state government has started schemes for all sections of the society including 'Laadli Behena' for women. "We will implement this schemes in the coming months," the Chief Secretary added.
Meanwhile, the state's top police officer Rashmi Shukla has served in various capacities before taking charge as the DGP and Inspector General of Police.
Shukla was in the news due to the phone tapping case when she was the head of the State Intelligence Department. A case was registered against her in Pune in Mumbai in this regard. However, a closure report was filed and she was given a clean cheat.
After her appointment, Shukla had said that she would give priority to the safety of women in the state.
"Law and order in the state is very important and we will try to maintain it intact. I am happy and proud to serve as the first woman Director General of Police of Maharashtra," Shukla had said.
Biswas is the first woman officer to hold the post of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Maharashtra. Before this, she was the CEO of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). She has also served in various other capacities.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Biswas said, "It is a matter of pride for Maharashtra that all the three top posts are occupied by women. It is a step taken by a progressive step by Maharashtra."
She said however there were challenges."I will get cooperation from the Chief Secretary Madam and the DGP. Our view will change and when this happens, we will look at an issue in a different way and also solve it accordingly. We will try to do our best," added Biswas.
"In our state, there is a 30 per cent reservation for women in the state. We will create an environment which will help women to work in forests with efficiency," she concluded.
