Pune: MPSC aspirants late Sunday night ended their 10-day agitation after the Maharashtra government formed a committee, with senior IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe as secretary, to probe alleged irregularities, including paper leaks, in the recruitment body.
Subsequently, Maharashtra Public Service Commission Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar announced that he had proceeded on leave till the inquiry was completed.
A state government delegation led by minister Shivendra Raje Bhosale met the agitating aspirants and informed them that most of their demands, including the formation of an inquiry committee with officers such as Mundhe, had been accepted.
However, the aspirants, who had been protesting at S M Joshi Bridge in Pune for the last ten days, insisted that Bhimanwar's removal was their primary demand. Their other demands include reforms in the MPSC.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who had been protesting alongside the aspirants, proposed that as the process of resignation could take time, the government should keep Bhimanwar away from the chairman's post until the inquiry was completed.
The proposal triggered confusion at the protest site, with differences emerging among the aspirants. While some agreed to the proposal, others refused to call off the agitation unless Bhimanwar was removed from the post.
Amid the uncertainty, it was decided that Bhosale would convey the demand to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He left the venue to discuss the matter with the CM. Bhosale returned after about 15 minutes and informed the protesters that the state government had agreed to their demand.
The minister appealed to the protesters to call off their agitation. Following the government's assurance, Vivekanad Patil, one of the representatives of the MPSC aspirants, said that they had called off the agitation for now.
During his meeting with the protesters, minister Bhosale said a committee had been formed to probe into alleged irregularities concerning the state recruitment body.
Other than FDA Commissioner Tukaram Muhdhe, the committee will also have ex-judge Dilip Bhosale as chairman, IPS officer Laxmi Gautam, ex-IAS officer Ganesh Patil and retired judge P D Naik.
Bhosale also told the protesters that the aspirants' many other demands would be addressed. These included the withdrawal of cases against some representatives of the agitation, recruitment to 70,000 posts over three years, an increase in the number of seats in the Group C examination scheduled for January, and background checks on the chairman and secretary of the MPSC before their appointment.
MLA Rohit Pawar welcomed Mundhe's inclusion in the committee. "We hope the committee will have the freedom to work properly," he said.
Meanwhile, Bhimanwar, in a post on X, said he had proceeded on leave.
"The state government has announced a judicial inquiry into the MPSC paper leak case. Throughout my entire life, I have always prioritised ethics. Therefore, I have decided to go on leave during this period instead of continuing to serve in the post until this inquiry is completed," he said.
Earlier in the day, Pawar had asked the Maharashtra government to clarify its stand over Bhimanwar by Sunday evening.
"The next course of action will be announced on Sunday evening," Pawar told reporters.
Two days ago, Pune Police registered a case against 15 representatives of the agitation for allegedly organising the protest without permission, obstructing traffic and violating prohibitory orders in the city. Separately, five people were booked for allegedly flying a drone at the protest site.
Following the registration of cases, Pawar visited the Vishrambaug police station and demanded that an FIR be registered against him. The police told him that a decision would be taken after an investigation, he said.
Claiming that nearly 25 lakh students were directly or indirectly affected by the issue, Pawar urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to prioritise aspirants' concerns "over his friendship with MPSC chairman Bhimanwar".
"Representatives of the protesting students have submitted a draft outlining proposed reforms to cleanse the commission, and the students have endorsed the document," he said.
Alleging that the government is ignoring the protesters because many of them came from poor families, Pawar said the agitation could take a different turn if students, their family members and other citizens joined in large numbers.