Pune: In a major administrative reshuffle at the beginning of the new year, the Maharashtra State Government has reassigned several key officials in Pune and neighboring districts.

Dr. Suhas Divase, who had been serving as Pune’s District Collector for the past 11 months, has been promoted to the rank of secretary and designated as the State Settlement Commissioner. In his place, Jitendra Dudi has been appointed as the new Collector of Pune. Dudi officially took charge from Dr. Divase on Thursday (January 2).

Jitendra Dudi has previously held positions such as Assistant Collector and Project Officer, Integrated Tribal Development Project in Taloda, Nandurbar, and Manchar. He has also served as Sangli Zilla Parishad CEO and Satara Collector.

During his tenure, Dudi achieved notable success under the Nutrition Mission and was honored with a third prize. He also received a first prize as the Best District Election Officer during the 2024 National Voters' Day for the Pune Division.

Dr. Divase, during his tenure, played a pivotal role in enhancing voter turnout during the Assembly elections compared to the Lok Sabha elections held earlier. He also expedited the land acquisition process for the much-anticipated Ring Road project.

Santosh Patil, previously the CEO of Pune Zilla Parishad, has been transferred to Satara as Collector. Gajanan Patil, formerly a private secretary to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, will take over as the new Pune Zilla Parishad CEO. Patil has a background in revenue services, having worked as Sub-Divisional Officer in Junnar and as a regional officer for MIDC in Pune.

Amid these changes, reports suggest that complaints regarding the conduct of two transferred officers had surfaced. One officer, alleged to be close to an influential leader, faced scrutiny after irregularities came to light. The other officer’s transfer was attributed to dissatisfaction with their administrative approach.