‘I've been posted out before joining’: Tukaram Mundhe recalls his shortest tenure ever as an officer

BT India @ 100: Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has revealed that he has, on multiple occasions, been transferred out of a post even before he could join it. Speaking during a session with India Today’s Preeti Choudhry at Business Today's India @ 100 event, Mundhe said such instances were part of his long career in public service, but he chose not to discuss the details.

Was Mundhe posted out before he even took charge? 

Asked about his shortest tenure as an officer, Mundhe said the question was not as straightforward as counting the months he spent in a posting. “I have been posted and posted out before joining also,” Mundhe said, confirming that such instances had happened “multiple times.”

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When asked where this had happened and whether he would discuss those cases, Mundhe declined. “I don't like to discuss that issue at all. I mean, that's not an issue to be discussed,” he said.

His remarks came during a broader discussion about the frequent transfers he has faced during his career. According to the session, Mundhe has been transferred 25 times during his 21-year tenure, despite the usual tenure for an officer being around three years.

‘Whatever comes with it, we have to take it’

Mundhe acknowledged that repeated transfers have had an impact on his family. He recalled how his son had to change schools several times while growing up, moving between Mumbai, Solapur, Pune and Nashik before eventually staying in Mumbai from the fifth standard.

“It does affect family,” Mundhe said, adding that his wife was also affected as changes in his postings required adjustments in their lives. However, Mundhe said these difficulties were part of the choice he had made to enter public service.

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“If I want to be a public servant, if I have decided that this is my role and this, I have taken the path, so whatever comes with it, we have to take it,” he said. He added that officers cannot expect to “have the cake and eat it too” and that his family had to accept the realities that came with his career.

For Mundhe, the focus remains less on how long he stays in a post and more on what he can contribute during his tenure. “What I look at is” the contribution possible during the time given, he said, stressing that his objective is to make a difference in people’s lives.

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