{
  "id": 3234490,
  "title": "Maharashtra Cancels ‘oral’ appointments in Ministerial offices",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/maharashtra-cancels-oral-appointments-in-ministerial-offices",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-25T10:09:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/maharashtra/maharashtra-cancels-oral-appointments-in-ministerial-offices/article71388188.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Maharashtra Chief Secretary has ordered the immediate cancellation of appointments made in Ministerial offices and State Departments on a loan basis or through oral orders, without adhering to the established procedure. Chief Secretary Rajesh Aggarwal directed in a circular issued on August 25, 2026, that all such officials and employees must be returned to their parent offices by September 10. The circular explained that numerous technical personnel, including doctors, stenographers, teachers, and engineers, had been improperly appointed, often lacking the necessary training or experience for their roles. These haphazard appointments were conducted without obtaining the required approvals from the parent Ministerial Department, the Additional Chief Secretary, the Chief Secretary, and the Chief Minister, leading to administrative issues and functional disruptions. Furthermore, appointments made on deputation or orally did not undergo the necessary integrity checks, such as verification of security clearances, character references, and other essential documentation, as these roles were deemed sensitive and administrative in nature. The State Government emphasized that such practices not only compromised the functioning of the parent departments but also rendered the training received by personnel in their respective departments ineffective. To address these concerns, heads of offices and disbursing officers are required to submit reports by September 15, confirming that the cancelled appointees have joined their parent offices. Failure to do so may result in the cessation of their salaries. The Additional Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary, or Secretary of the concerned department must submit their reports by September 20. Identity cards, attendance systems, and other linked facilities associated with these cancelled appointments must be discontinued immediately. Any future violations could lead to disciplinary action under the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1979. Future appointments to Ministerial offices must strictly follow the prescribed procedure outlined by the General Administration Department, and proposals for new posts must be reviewed and approved by the Chief Minister. Additionally, it has been directed to review vacant posts in Ministerial departments, aligning them with their sanctioned staffing structures and establishing a separate administrative mechanism for managing Ministerial manpower, addressing service-related concerns, and maintaining administrative discipline.",
  "summary": "In a circular, Chief Secretary Rajesh Aggarwal directed that all such officials and employees must be sent back to their parent offices by September 10",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times",
        "title": "Maharashtra: 'Oral' appointments of officers and employees in ministerial offices cancelled",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/maharashtra-oral-appointments-of-officers-and-employees-in",
        "published": "2026-08-25T08:31:28.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}