Pankaj Ashiya takes charge as new BNMC commissioner

The state government on Saturday appointed IAS officer Pankaj Ashiya as the new commissioner of Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation (BNMC). Ashiya, 31, replaces

The state government on Saturday appointed IAS officer Pankaj Ashiya as the new commissioner of Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation (BNMC). Ashiya, 31, replaces Pravin Ashtikar, who is still waiting for a posting.

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Ashiya, a doctor by profession, worked in Malegaon for two months as an in-charge of Malegaon Emergency Operation Centre, established after the coronavirus outbreak in the city. He also assisted Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) in tackling the increasing cases of Covid-19, since June 8.

“My team managed to bring down the number of active cases of coronavirus in Malegaon. In Thane, I was assisting the commissioner for five wards which had the highest positive cases. I guided in tracking the contacts, improving health infrastructure etc. In Bhiwandi, I will study the present scenario and work towards reducing the spread of the infection,” said Ashiya.

“The best way to control the situation is by following the guidelines set by the government. In Malegaon, we involved locals and community leaders to spread awareness among people, which helped a lot. The same shall be done in Bhiwandi,” he said.

Before taking the additional charges at Malegaon, Ashiya was handling an integrated tribal development project at Kalwan, Nashik, since October 2018.

Bhiwandi city recorded 81 positive cases on Saturday, and eight deaths, taking the total number of positive cases in the city to 875 and deaths to 66.