Opposition Leader Urges Election Commission to Transfer Key Mumbai Civic Officials
Mumbai, 7th March 2024: Opposition leader Vijay Wadettiwar, representing the Bramhapuri constituency from the Congress party, has written letters to the Election Commission of India (ECI) urging the transfer of municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal and additional municipal commissioners Ashwini Bhide and P Velrasu. The basis for this request is that they have completed three years in their respective positions, and according to election commission rules, they should be relocated.
Wadettiwar emphasized that despite recent directives from the poll body, the state government has not shown a willingness to transfer these officers. The ECI had previously rejected the state government’s plea to allow municipal commissioners and additional commissioners, including those from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), to continue in their roles. The ECI clarified on February 22 that commissioners and additional commissioners were also covered by the transfer policy, making Chahal, Bhide, and Velrasu due for transfer.
In light of the upcoming general elections, the ECI had instructed all state governments to transfer officers who had served in a position for more than three years by January 31. However, the state government sought an exemption, citing ongoing monsoon-related work supervised by these officers. Wadettiwar accused the state government of having malicious intent to unduly influence the election process and highlighted alleged biased fund allocation in BMC constituencies over the past two years.
In a separate letter, Wadettiwar also called for the transfer of additional municipal commissioner Sudhakar Shinde, an IRS rank officer, alleging that his appointment was intended to influence the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Chahal, an IAS officer of the 1989 batch, assumed the role of municipal commissioner on May 8, 2020. Bhide, an IAS officer of the 1995 batch, joined BMC on May 9, 2020, and later took charge as managing director of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation while continuing as AMC of Mumbai Eastern Suburbs. Velrasu, an IAS officer of the 2002 batch, served as the additional municipal commissioner in charge of projects in the BMC since January 17, 2020.
