Why this Panvel commissioner commutes for four hours a day

Rajendra Nimbalkar

The civic chief of the Panvel Municipal Corporation spends over four hours commuting. Rajendra Nimbalkar, previously civic commissioner of the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation, continues to stay at his old home since there is no official bungalow, within his new jurisdiction.

Both these municipal corporations are headed by IAS rank officials. But, according to the source, the Panvel corporation doesn't have bungalows or flats that can match the rank of an IAS official.

The Panvel Municipal Council became the first civic council in Maharashtra when it was formed in August 1852. On October 1 last year, it earned the status of a corporation body, becoming the first in Raigad.

Nimbalkar, who currently resides in Ulhasnagar, says, "Since four hou­rs are spent travelling, I don't get enough time to complete what I would like to [in a day]." He adds that with corporation polls scheduled next month, the work on his plate has increased.

Nimbalkar is often forced to spend the night at a guesthouse in Panvel. When asked if there were any plans to construct a residence for the civic chief, Nimbalkar says, "The Panvel Municipal Corporation was formed only recently, so things are bound to take time. My first priority is improving administration."