Seven out of nine vacant wards to get new assistant commissioners after 3 years

BMC will appoint seven new assistant commissioners in January 2025 to fill long-vacant posts, streamlining operations across 24 wards.

MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to address a three-year administrative gap by appointing seven new assistant commissioners (ACs) to fill long-vacant positions in January 2025.

Seven out of nine vacant wards to get new assistant commissioners after 3 years

Of the nine AC posts that have remained unfilled, seven will now be occupied, ending a prolonged period during which executive and deputy chief engineers had been temporarily handling ward-level responsibilities.

The BMC oversees 24 administrative wards, ranging alphabetically from A to T. The seven AC appointments will cover wards, including A (Colaba), B (Mohammed Ali Road, Dongri), C (Mumbadevi), E (Byculla), G South (Parel), S (Bhandup), T (Mulund), P-South (Goregaon), and R-North (Borivli, Dahisar).

A senior official from the General Administration Department confirmed that recruitment is in its final stages. “Thorough inquiries and background checks are underway to finalise the appointments, especially for candidates not previously affiliated with BMC,” the official said. The new appointees include Dinesh Palewade, Nitin Shukla, Arjun Kshirsagar, Ujjwala Ingole, Yogita Kolhe, Kudan Walvi, and Yogesh Desai. Ward designations will be announced upon their official induction.

The long-awaited appointments are expected to streamline operations, improve governance, and restore efficiency at the ward level, addressing concerns of delayed development works and administrative bottlenecks.

The appointment process, delayed for years, faced scrutiny earlier this year. In June, BMC chief Bhushan Gagrani attributed the setback to delays by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC). Although the MPSC conducted exams and released a merit list of 16 candidates in September 2023, recommendation letters were not issued promptly. Despite three reminders from BMC to expedite the process, the appointments stalled.

The vacancies had become a point of political contention, with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray criticising the BMC for the delays. Thackeray highlighted that ward-level projects were suffering as responsibilities were distributed among executive engineers and ACs, which were holding multiple charges.

Wards A, B, C, E, G South, S, T, P-South, and R-North are managed by executive engineers or deputy chief engineers. For example, Ward A is under Jaydeep More, while Ward G South is managed by Mrudula Ande. Additionally, newly carved-out wards like P-East (Malad East) are being handled by Kiran Dighavkar, while K North and K South remain under the charge of Manish Valanju, AC of K East ward.

In some cases, ACs are in charge of multiple wards, further straining resources.

The incoming ACs, often referred to as ward officers, are currently undergoing a month-long training programme to prepare for their roles. Once complete, they will assume responsibility for their designated wards under BMC directives.