Ajoy Mehta, Maharashtra chief secretary, has been given a three-month extension in the service. He was to retire after serving the current six-month extension on March 31.

The Centre informed the state government of the Ministry of Personnel and Training's approval on Saturday. Mehta is an officer of the 1984 batch of Indian Administrative Service. The MVA government had asked for Mehta's continuation in the service in February. The Centre has cited the current health crisis for the extension.