Pune: Praveen Pardeshi returns to United Nations as Global Programme Coordinator

Pune: Praveen Pardeshi returns to United Nations as Global Programme Coordinator

Pune: Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer and former Municipal Commissioner of Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Mumbai Praveen Pardeshi has now been appointed as Global Programme Coordinator in the training and research organisation of the United Nations. Pardeshi will lead the UN’s efforts to prevent non-communicable diseases in over 90 countries.

The central government cleared the posting of Pardeshi in UN on Tuesday (August 4). This deputation is for a period of 11 months. Pardeshi will be working from home till the international flights resume operations. IAS officer Bhushan Gagrani will now replace Pardeshi.

Pardeshi was the trusted officer of former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. He was appointed as Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner in 2018 and continued at this post after the Fadnavis government was gone. Present Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had shunted out Pardeshi during the Covid-19 outbreak crisis after an alleged tussle between Pardeshi and then Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta happened. Mehta, after his retirement, is now working as the Principal Advisor of CM Thackeray.

Pardeshi is an IAS officer of the 1985 batch. He has served as the collector of Latur district during the 1993 earthquake crisis and worked hard to redevelop and rehabilitate the quake-affected region. He also played a key role in the rehabilitation efforts after the 2001 Bhuj earthquake. Pardeshi had later joined the United Nations and has completed two stints in a total span of seven years in the international body. He had returned to the state and was appointed as principal secretary in the forest department. Former CM Fadnavis had made him head of his secretariat and later BMC commissioner.

As the number of Covid-19 cases increased in Mumbai during May month, Pardeshi was removed suddenly from the post of BMC Commissioner by CM Thackeray and was transferred as Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development Department. He also had additional charge of the irrigation department.

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