Civic chief takes over roads, bridges and drainage dept

Municipal commissioner Praveen Pardeshi, in a circular issued on Saturday, announced that he will take charge of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s road,

Municipal commissioner Praveen Pardeshi, in a circular issued on Saturday, announced that he will take charge of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s road, bridges and storm water department (SWD).

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Usually this department is handled by an IAS officer at the level of additional municipal commissioner. However, from now the municipal commissioner will be in -charge of the above mentioned portfolios.

On Saturday several portfolios were shuffled among additional municipal commissioners — Suresh Kakani, A Jarhad, Jayshree Bhoj — who recently joined the BMC.

A BMC official on condition of anonymity said, “Whenever commissioner wants to bring reforms or wants to have more control of a department, he takes a charge by himself. Previously also Pardeshi wanted changes in the BMC’s education department so he took the charge upon himself.”

“However, this also implies that be it good or bad, the commissioner would be held responsible for the outcome. Roads, bridges and SWD is a very crucial department especially during monsoon,” added the officer.

Joint municipal commissioner Ashutosh Salil will be responsible for coordination between the road department engineers and the commissioner.

Traditionally in the BMC, municipal commissioners keep the development plan department with themselves, however, Pardeshi is the first officer in nearly a decade to take over the roads, bridges and SWD in addition.

Meanwhile, other departments that Pardeshi will handle includes development plan department, vigilance department followed by all policy-related issues relating to allocating unplanned expenditure etc.