Investigation | Classrooms Deserted, Ministers Manned: Bharat Gogawale’s Illegal Teacher Deputations Exposed

X: @vivekbhavsar

Mumbai: In a shocking violation of rules, two Zilla Parishad (ZP) teachers from Mahad taluka (Raigad) have been diverted from classrooms to work in the personal office of Shiv Sena’s Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS) Minister Bharat Gogawale. At a time when rural students in Raigad are already facing an acute shortage of teachers, this illegal deputation has triggered a storm — raising sharp questions about misuse of power, governance failure, and the credibility of the Fadnavis-Shinde-Pawar government.

The controversy centres around two teachers. Dr. Mahendra Gunaji Shirke, an assistant teacher at ZP Kendriya School, Kamble/Birwadi, Mahad, has been serving as a Personal Assistant (PA) in Gogawale’s office since December 16, 2024, despite being posted in a landslide-prone rural school. Gogawale later wrote to Rural Development Minister Jaykumar Gore on January 8, 2025, seeking retrospective approval for Shirke’s deputation and directing that the order be sanctioned immediately.

But this is not the first time Shirke has been found working in a minister’s office. Sources confirm that he had earlier worked as a PA to the then Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar. Even that deputation, insiders say, was illegal under existing Rural Development Department (RDD) guidelines. Despite his official posting as a primary teacher in Mahad taluka, Shirke has spent years inside ministers’ offices rather than classrooms, raising serious questions about how such blatant violations were repeatedly unchecked.

The second case is that of Bhikaji Parshuram Mandhare, a subject teacher from a school under the Mahad Panchayat Samiti. Gogawale issued another letter on January 20, 2025, instructing Gore to approve Mandhare’s appointment in his office “on a loan basis” without delay. Both letters — signed by Gogawale himself — directly pressure the Rural Development Department to sanction orders that are illegal.

According to RDD guidelines, teachers cannot be deputed as PAs or staff in ministers’ offices — not even on a loan basis. Their appointment is strictly for educational duties in schools. Despite this, sources reveal that RDD Minister Gore forwarded Gogawale’s requests to the Raigad ZP CEO, asking to process the deputations. The CEO, cautious about legality, wrote to the Konkan Divisional Commissioner seeking clarification. Till today, the Commissioner has not responded — leaving the matter hanging in bureaucratic limbo.

The fallout is being felt most by children in Mahad taluka. Dr. Shirke’s school is in a disaster-prone, rural area where students already face hardships due to landslides, poor infrastructure, and staff shortages. His absence has left classes unattended and children deprived of subject guidance. Mandhare’s removal has added to the strain on teachers in the Mahad Panchayat Samiti, forcing others to handle extra classes. Parents allege that education is being sacrificed at the altar of political convenience, as ministers pull scarce teachers out of schools for clerical work.

The Bharat Gogawale controversy exposes a disturbing trend: misuse of teachers as political aides. If allowed, this practice sets a dangerous precedent where ZP staff, meant for schools, can be diverted to ministerial offices at will. It also raises the fundamental question: should teachers — appointed to serve children — be working as personal assistants to ministers?

The issue is not just administrative — it is politically explosive. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has earned a reputation for the strict vetting of ministerial staff. He withheld approval of Private Secretaries to at least four ministers due to charges of corruption or controversial service records. His stand was clear: only clean, qualified officers would serve in ministers’ offices. But will the same Fadnavis now allow ZP teachers to moonlight as PAs? If yes, it undermines his credibility. If no, Gogawale could face direct embarrassment and action. This has turned the case into a political test for Fadnavis — and the opposition is watching closely.

Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar), and UBT Shiv Sena leaders are expected to corner the government. Their likely charges: illegal deputation of ZP teachers, depriving rural students of education, misuse of RDD and ZP staff for political gain, and double standards of the CM on ministerial appointments. For Bharat Gogawale, already reportedly under CM Fadnavis’ radar, this could snowball into a major political crisis.

Unlike many controversies that rely on whispers, this case is backed by documentary evidence. Gogawale’s letters dated January 8 and January 20, 2025, are signed directives pressuring the Rural Development Department to legitimise these deputations. Coupled with revelations that Dr. Shirke had previously served illegally under then Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar, the pattern is undeniable: the same teacher has been repeatedly pulled out of classrooms to do the bidding of ministers.

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This makes denial almost impossible and ensures that the controversy will not fade away quietly. It also exposes a systemic failure — bureaucrats looked the other way, ministers misused their influence, and students in rural Maharashtra were the ultimate losers.

The Bharat Gogawale teacher deputation controversy is more than just a local issue. It symbolises the failure of governance where children in rural Maharashtra are deprived of their right to education, while ministers misuse their power for personal benefit. The core question is now directed at Chief Minister Fadnavis: Will he cancel the illegal deputations and take action against Gogawale? Or will he ignore the violation, weakening his tough image and giving the opposition a political weapon? Until then, classrooms in Mahad remain half-empty, while their teachers sit behind a minister’s desk.