Ashwini Bhide now 1st woman to head BMC

Bhide, the new BMC commissioner, prioritizes flood resilience and continues leading key infrastructure projects, marking a historic all-women leadership.

MUMBAI: As she stepped into her new role as the commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the country’s richest civic body, Ashwini Bhide promised Mumbaikars that reviewing and strengthening flood resilience measures in the city will be her top priority. She also highlighted that the civic body had consistently worked to improve flood resilience measures through various projects over the years.

Ashwini Bhide took charge as the BMC commissioner on Tuesday in the presence of former chief Bhushan Gagrani. (Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

She took over from senior bureaucrat and outgoing civic commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, who retired on Tuesday, at a ceremony at the BMC headquarters. Bhide however preferred to downplay her role as Mumbai’s first woman municipal chief, suggesting instead that perhaps “other women did not get a chance earlier”.

The 1995 batch IAS officer termed her return to the civic house as “ghar-wapsi”, as she had served the body for four years as the additional municipal commissioner (eastern suburbs) from 2020-24. In this period, she also headed the Coastal Road Project.

“I look forward to new challenges in this role. All my predecessors have served the city well with this team of officials. I shall do my best to continue and take forward the good work done by my predecessors. I am familiar with the city, how it functions and officials serving here, having worked here for 18 years in various posts,” said Bhide, who hails from Sangli.

Bhide, who is regarded as the ‘Metro Woman of Mumbai’ for spearheading the Aqua Line (Metro 3) and navigating challenges of land acquisition and resettling project affected people, will continue to hold additional charge of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC). She had also spearheaded the Eastern Freeway, Mumbai Monorail and Sahar Elevated Road.

She will also oversee key infrastructure projects such the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road, the northern extension of the Coastal Road from Versova to Bhayandar and the long-pending Gargai Dam project to augment Mumbai’s water supply.

On Tuesday, as she assumed office, Bhide emphasised that the good coordination between the elected representatives and the administration yields better results. “With the return of elected representatives in BMC, it felt like BMC had returned to being a true municipal corporation,” she said.

Outlining its 150-year old rich historic legacy, she praised BMC by terming it as a “kabil” organisation, “led by good officials” and hoped to continue forward the work done by her predecessors.

“The BMC always works to provide good amenities for all citizens. Good

security and transport system have always benefited women which

probably has led to a large number of working women in Mumbai,” she said.

Describing her predecessor Bhushan Gagrani as her inspiration for

joining the civil services, she recalled how the latter stood third nationally in the civil services exams from Kolhapur with Marathi as his language. She described Gagrani’s term, which had seen the successful transition from serving as an administrator and conducting the recent civic election as “very successful”.

Bhide, who held the post of the additional chief secretary in the CM’s office, thanked chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde for giving her the responsibility to helm BMC.

Women rule BMC

This is probably the first time that all major posts in the BMC, including the administrative wing and the elected wing, are being led by women. With Bhide at the helm as municipal commissioner, the administration has Ashwini Joshi as additional municipal commissioner along with Manjiri Deshpande as the municipal secretary, heading the administrative wing.

While the elected wing is being led by mayor Ritu Tawde, leader of the opposition Kishori Pednekar and chairpersons of major committees are being held by women including the BEST committee (Trushna Vishwasrao), education committee (Rajshree Shirwadkar), the works committee -- city (Yamini Jadhav), and works committee – suburbs (Sangeeta Sharma).