MBMC chief shuffles his pack, six heavyweights transferred

Transfers and reshuffles are considered to be routine affairs in any civic body. However, Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) commissioner Dr Vijay Rathod showed the guts which none of his predecessors dared in the past decade.

In a major internal reshuffle, on Thursday evening, Dr Rathod effected transfers of six senior officials including that of Executive Engineer attached to MBMC’s Public Works Department (PWD)Deepak Khambit. This is the second such drill in less than a week by Dr Rathod who seems keen on adopting a zero-tolerance policy, while ensuring transparency in all the civic departments.

Despite being on the radar,

Khambit had successfully managed to cling on in the PWD for more than two decades on the virtue of his influence and clout over the ruling governance and the administration.

A second-in-command of the PWD wing, Khambit’s stature remained intact even during the tenures of some of the upright municipal commissioners-especially from the IAS cadre. Dr Rathod’s move is seen as an attempt to break the prolonged nexus between officials, local politicians and municipal contractors.

While Khambit has been shunted to the water supply department, he will be replaced by Executive Engineer Suresh Vakode who had been heading the water supply wing for the past 11 years. Meanwhile, tax assessment officer Sanjay Donde has been appointed as ward officer (No. 1). He has been replaced by Sudam Godse who headed ward number five. The jurisdictions of garden superintendents Nagesh Virkar and Hansram Meshram have also been interchanged.