Mumbai: BMC transfers official thrice in one month

Harshad Kale; Vishwas Shankarwar and Vijay Balamwar was DMC zone 4 and transferred thrice

There seems to be a spree of transfers in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). On Monday the civic administration transferred three deputy commissioners - these include Vijay Balamwar who was transferred thrice and Harshad Kale who was transferred twice in a month. Civic activists claim this is the first time they have seen officials transferred two or three times in a month.

Balamwar held charge as deputy commissioner (DMC) zone 4 which includes Andheri West (K west), Goregaon (P- South), and Malad (P North), till the first week of September. He was then transferred as DMC Special. Within a week he was transferred back as DMC zone 4. According to the BMC circular on Monday, he was again transferred as the DMC of the Central Purchase Department. A BMC official claimed these were routine transfers.

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On Monday former DMC zone 2 Harshad Kale was transferred from DMC Central Purchase Department as the DMC of Zone 5. This includes Kurla (L ward), Chembur (M-West) and Govandi (M-East). Kale was also transferred two times since September. He was DMC of zone 2 before he was transferred to the Central Purchase Department in the first week of September.

Vishwas Shankarwar, DMC of Zone 5, was transferred as DMC Zone 4.

Civic activists are not happy with this transfer drama. "I have seen such a transfer game for the first time," said Sanjay Gurav, a civic activist from Fort.

"Due to such frequent transfers common people are suffering. When a citizen's issue comes to an officer, he/she needs time to understand it. When an official is transferred within a month the new official has to start on the issue from the beginning," said Godfrey Pimenta, another civic activist.

Deputy Municipal Commissioner of General Administration Milind Sawant did not respond to calls.