Mumbai: After years of delay caused by legal hurdles and administrative setbacks, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has finally appointed full-time ward officers in four of its eight administrative wards.
On Friday, the civic body announced the posting of new Assistant Municipal Commissioners (AMC) in B Ward (Dongri), C Ward (Marine Lines), F South Ward (Parel), and R South Ward (Kandivali). These appointments were made following recommendations from the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC).
The recruitment process, first announced in June 2021 for 14 ward officer posts, had been stalled due to court petitions filed by disqualified candidates. The matter eventually reached the Supreme Court, which permitted BMC to proceed with appointments. Despite this, delays persisted until the final list was released, appointment letters issued in November 2024, and training completed last month.
Until now, the wards were managed by senior engineers acting as ward officers, raising concerns about delays and weakened administrative oversight.
New Appointments And Transfers
Yogesh Desai has been appointed AMC of B Ward, Santosh Salunkhe will head C Ward, Vrushali Ingule takes charge of F South Ward, and Aarti Golekar will lead R South Ward.
In the reshuffle, Sanjay Ingle (C Ward) and Manish Salve (R South), who were acting in charge, have been relieved and sent back to the City Engineer Department. Meanwhile, AMCs Nitin Shukla, Mahesh Patil, and Alka Sasane have been transferred to K East, S Ward, and the Market Department, respectively.
Four More Posts Await Filling
According to a senior official, of the remaining four candidates, one has yet to be relieved from their previous posting, another is on maternity leave, while two are undergoing training and will assume charge soon.
