Ahuja takes charge as MCG commissioner

Mukesh Kumar Ahuja, a 2009 batch IAS officer, took charge as the commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Tuesday

Mukesh Kumar Ahuja, a 2009 batch IAS officer, took charge as the commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Tuesday.

HT Image

Ahuja held an introductory meeting with senior MCG officials at the civic body’s Sector 34 office, visited the Badshahpur drain and Bandhwari waste plant, and took stock of monsoon preparedness measures in the Aravallis on his first day. In his first meeting, Ahuja directed the MCG’s IT wing to develop an online system for monitoring all civic works of the MCG.

“My top priority would be to rectify the cleanliness system and get the public grievances resolved in a timebound manner. A zero-tolerance policy will be adopted in cases of corruption. The citizens of Gurugram make complaints to the MCG through various means and these complaints will be resolved on a priority basis,” said Ahuja.

Ahuja and former MCG commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh, a 2011-batch IAS officer, have swapped places, with the latter moving to Panchkula as its new deputy commissioner. Their transfers were part of a major administrative shuffle by the Haryana government last Friday, when 42 officials were transferred from across the state.

Ahuja, who is holding a position in Gurugram for the first time, will also serve as the chief administrator of the Shri Mata Sheetla Devi Shrine Board.

Ahuja took stock of the MCG’s progress regarding the removal of 2.5 million tonnes of legacy waste from the Bandhwari waste plant, and also examined the portion of the Badshahpur drain where the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is widening it. The GMDA is clearing a bottleneck that reduces its carrying capacity from 2,300 cubic foot per second (cusecs) to 800 cusecs, causing flooding along parts of National Highway 48 during monsoon.

MCG officials said that Ahuja had a long conversation with GMDA officials regarding monsoon preparedness measures near Shiv Nadar School. “GMDA officials apprised the MCG commissioner that they are building check dams, four creeks, and ponds near the site to ensure run-off rainwater from the Aravallis is contained and groundwater is recharged, while also ensuring the nearby Golf Course Road is not flooded,” said a senior MCG official privy to the matter.

Ahuja was also apprised by officials about MCG’s property tax system, Swachh Bharat Mission, cleanliness measures, sewerage and drainage system, enforcement measures, sustainability, graded response action plan (GRAP), advertising, larvicide activities, mobile medical units, C&D waste management, door-to-door waste collection, issues related to mobile towers and the civic body’s multilevel parking project, among other civic issues.