Sena, BJP unhappy with appointment

The news of Subodh Kumar’s appointment as the new municipal commissioner did not go down too well with the saffron combine ruling the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The news of Subodh Kumar’s appointment as the new municipal commissioner did not go down too well with the saffron combine ruling the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

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“One cannot understand the intention behind appointing Subodh Kumar as the new civic chief when he has just 13 months to retire,” Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Ashish Shelar, said.

The Shiv Sena-BJP did not have a comfortable relationship with Kumar when he was additional municipal commissioner between 1999 and 2001.

But this stint went in his favour when chief minister, Prithviraj Chavan, was looking for a replacement for Kumar’s successor, Swadheen Kshatriya.

Reacting to his transfer within a year of taking over, Kshatriya said: “Because of global warming, the climate can change anytime. We are working as administrative officers and have to obey the state government orders.”

Kumar has also worked with Chavan at the Centre when the former was additional secretary in the Union telecom ministry.

The bureaucratic reshuffle was expected because every new chief minister appoints officers of his choice to key posts.

Sources said Chavan is soon likely to make appointments to some other important posts such as the managing director of CIDCO and chief executive officer of the state housing body.