Transfers in Maharashtra’s Animal Husbandry Department Now Through Counseling: Historic Decision by Minister Pankaja Munde

Mumbai : In a landmark move aimed at ensuring transparency and balanced human resource allocation across the state, Animal Husbandry Minister Pankaja Munde has announced that transfers of Livestock Development Officers and Assistant Commissioners in the department will now be conducted through a counseling-based process.

This initiative comes in the wake of a large number of vacant posts and a limited pool of transfer-eligible officers. The counseling-based transfer process will take place on May 15 and 16, 2025, at the Commissionerate of Animal Husbandry, Pune. During this process, nearly 650 officers are expected to be transferred.

Following the recent restructuring of the Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development departments, several new posts have been created. Currently, a large number of positions remain vacant. To address this, a proposal for more than 3,000 posts has already been submitted to the Maharashtra Public Service Commission, with appointments expected soon.

Transparent Transfers Based on Preference

Minister Munde emphasized that the aim is to ensure equitable manpower distribution across the state. Priority transfer positions have been identified for the Livestock Development Officer and Assistant Commissioner cadres. Eligible officers will be given the opportunity to choose their preferred posting locations during the counseling, based on seniority and availability.

To maintain transparency, clear guidelines have been issued. The counseling process will categorize officers under various priorities, including:

• Differently-abled employees
• Those suffering from serious illnesses
• Employees with disabled dependents
• Widows or separated women
• Spouses seeking joint postings

The seniority list by category and available vacancies for transfers have been uploaded to the Animal Husbandry Department’s official website, and links have been shared with all concerned officers.

Minister Pankaja Munde stated that senior officers in each category will be given first preference in selecting their transfer location. She reaffirmed that the entire process will be conducted transparently and fairly, setting a precedent for future departmental transfers.