The Maharashtra government, following the direction of the Election Commission of India (ECI), on Wednesday appointed Dr. Bhushan Gagarani, a 1990 batch officer of the Indian Administrative Service, as the new Commissioner of BMC. Dr. Gagarani, who was serving in the key position of the Additional Chief Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office, took over from Iqbal Singh Chahal.
During his long career in the civil service he has held many important posts in the government. He started with land revenue management, district administration, and development administration for the first two years. He also worked as the Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Parishad in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad), the Director of the Youth Welfare and Sports Department in Pune, and the Collector in Sindhudurg.
He was later named the Deputy Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Joint Chief Executive Officer of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, Secretary of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, Secretary of the Medical Education and Pharmaceuticals Department, Secretary of the Public Health Department, and Chief Executive Officer of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, City and Industrial Development Corporation.
Further, he was appointed Principal Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office and Principal Secretary in the Urban Development Department. He was also responsible for the Urban Development, Water Resources and Marathi language departments.
Academically inclined, Dr Gagarani holds multiple degrees, including a Master of Commerce and Master of Arts in History from Shivaji University, Kolhapur; a Bachelor of Laws degree from Nagpur University; a Master’s Degree in Management from the University of Birmingham in London; and a Vidyavachaspati (PhD) degree in Management from Mumbai University.
Earlier this week, the ECI had written to the Maharashtra state secretary seeking the transfer of the former BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal and some deputy and additional commissioners.
