Ashwani Kumar appointed as Special Officer of unified MCD, Gyanesh Bharti as Commissioner

The Centre on Friday appointed IAS officers Ashwani Kumar and Gyanesh Bharti as the Special Officer and Commissioner of the unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), respectively, according to an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Kumar, a 1992-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, was the chief secretary of Puducherry. Bharti, a 1998-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, is currently the Commissioner of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation. According to the order, the appointments will come into effect from May 22, the day when the three civic bodies get unified. MHA made the announcement through a notification, mentioning that Bharti will be the Commissioner of MCD with effect from May 22. “It is decided to appoint Gyanesh Bharti, IAS, as the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Delhi w.e.f.22.05.2022," read the order.

The order came two days after an MHA notification announced that the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022 to unify all the three municipal corporations of Delhi-- North Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal Corporation, and East Delhi Municipal Corporation-- into one entity will come into force on May 22.