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Amid ACB trap, Minister Narhari Zirwal relieves private secretary
After clerk’s arrest in Rs 35,000 bribery case, administrative head of FDA Minister’s office sent back to parent department
Minister Zirwal has written to the General Administration Department (GAD) at Mantralaya, directing it to issue the necessary orders to formalise the change. (Photo: X/@Narhari_Zirwal)
Days after the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested a clerk from the office of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Minister Narhari Zirwal for allegedly accepting a ₹35,000 bribe to restore a suspended medical licence, the minister on Friday relieved his private secretary, Dr Ramdas Gade, from the post.
Dr Gade, who serves as Assistant Commissioner (Animal Husbandry) in the Department of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries (ADF) at Mantralaya, Mumbai, had been posted as private secretary on deputation. With effect from the afternoon of February 16, 2026, he has been repatriated to his parent department.
The private secretary functions as the administrative head of the minister’s office and oversees its day-to-day operations.
Minister Zirwal has written to the General Administration Department (GAD) at Mantralaya, directing it to issue the necessary orders to formalise the change.
The development follows last week’s ACB trap in which Rajendra Dherange, a clerk in the FDA department, was caught red-handed while allegedly accepting ₹35,000 as part of a demanded bribe. The action came after complaints were received by the anti-corruption agency. Zirwal was reportedly in Delhi at the time of the operation.
Sources said Gade’s name was mentioned in a video linked to the sting operation, though no official confirmation has been issued regarding his role.
Meanwhile, the opposition Indian National Congress has demanded Zirwal’s resignation in the wake of the allegations and the sting operation, intensifying political pressure on the minister.
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