Raigad collector Suryawanshi replaces PMPML MD Nayana Gunde

The two changes were a part of a larger bureaucratic reshuffle that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray made. Gunde had joined as the PMPML director in February 2018

Raigad district collector Vijay Suryawanshi has been appointed as the new chairman and managing director of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) after Nayana Gunde was transferred to the Tribal Research and Training Institute on Thursday.

As per the norm, it is expected that an IAS officer completes a three-year term as the managing director of the PMPML, but only one officer, RN Joshi, has completed his full term as the managing director in the last 12 years of PMPML’s existence (Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

The two changes were a part of a larger bureaucratic reshuffle that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray made. Gunde had joined as the PMPML director in February 2018. She worked for almost two years with the public transport utility after the transfer of the then PMPML chief Tukaram Mundhe, under whose term the public transport body had improved its performance by increasing revenue and passenger footfall.

As per the norm, it is expected that an IAS officer completes a three-year term as the managing director of the PMPML, but only one officer, RN Joshi, has completed his full term as the managing director in the last 12 years of PMPML’s existence. Gunde also could not complete her term and got transferred to another department in the city.

Civic activist Prashant Inamdar said, “There has been a frequent change in command of top officers handling two crucial posts for management of Pune’s traffic and transportation. Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) and PMPML managing director hardly complete their tenure in Pune. It shows how the state government is not serious about Pune’s traffic issue.”

Pravin Darade who was appointed as additional municipal commissioner in PMC was also transferred as the social welfare commissioner in Pune. Satara’s district collector Shweta Singhal has now been transferred to Pune and she would work as additional divisional commissioner in Pune.

The chief minister transferred 22 IAS officers on Thursday. Official sources said that more IAS transfers are expected in the coming days. It is a usual practice to reshuffle the beauracratic setup after a change of government at the state.