In a span of around eight years, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has got its eighth civic chief, this time in the form of Chandrakant K. Dange who took charge from outgoing commissioner Balaji Khatgaonkar on Saturday.
An IAS 2010 batch officer, Dange holds an M.Tech degree from IIT Kharagpur. He has a rich experience of serving in various government departments like tribal development and municipalities including Jalgaon. He was currently serving as secretary in the state’s general administration department (GAD) and is known for his no-nonsense attitude and very firm approach in the administrative circles.
However, in the current scenario, it has to be seen if Dange manages to have an upper hand while administrating the corporation, or succumbs to the intense political pressure that is being exerted by two warring factions in the BJP-ruled governance and an aggressive Shiv Sena which is seated in the opposition.
Notably, Vikram Kumar, became the first regular direct IAS officer to take over the reins of the municipal corporation in 2011, followed by Suresh Kakani, Subhash Laakhe and Dr. Naresh Gite. However, thanks to the political tug-of-war, none of these upright IAS officers were given an opportunity of completing their terms under the garb of routine transfers.
Dange’s appointment as MBMC commissioner is part of a major reshuffle announced by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), even as more transfers are expected in coming days, sources said.