According to sources, Fadnavis has sent this recommendation to Governor Jishnu Dev Varma. The proposed panel will be headed by a retired High Court judge, and it will submit its report within three months. Further action will be considered on the basis of its findings.
Proposed probe under Article 317
The recommendation has been made under Article 317 of the Constitution, which deals with removing the chairperson of a public service commission and suspending its members.
The move comes as MPSC aspirants continue their agitation in Pune. Their main demand is the resignation of MPSC chairperson Vivek Bhimnavar. The protest, which entered its sixth day on Tuesday, has drawn support from leaders and organisations with various political backgrounds.
The protesters have raised concerns about the nature of MPSC exams and put forward several demands. However, the demand to remove Bhimnavar remains the focus.
The proposed probe follows a meeting Fadnavis held with a delegation of MPSC aspirants on September 30. The government then announced that a judicial inquiry into the conduct of current and former MPSC chairpersons and members would be carried out under Article 317 within three months.
MPSC secretary's deputation cancelled
Amid the row over the commission's functioning, the Maharashtra government has cancelled the deputation of MPSC Secretary Mahendra Uttamrao Harpalkar.
Students had demanded action against both Harpalkar and Bhimnavar. The government has acted against the secretary, but the question of removing the chairperson remains at the centre of the agitation.
The government has said that the MPSC chairperson holds a constitutional post, so the process for removing one is different from that for ordinary government officers. Fadnavis had earlier said that the state government and the Governor cannot easily remove the chairperson.
Agitation continues in Pune
Over paper leaks, irregularities in exams and concerns about recruitment, MPSC aspirants are protesting at several places in Pune. The Leader of the Opposition and other political figures have also extended their support to the protests.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to meet the protesting students on October 7 or 8. NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar has warned that the agitation will be intensified if the demand for action against the MPSC chairperson is not met.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray has also backed the protesting students and demanded that responsibility be fixed over the paper leaks and recruitment concerns.
The government's latest recommendation is expected to provide a formal mechanism to examine the conduct of the commission's current and former leadership. Further action will be considered after that.