Praveen Pardeshi shunted out, Iqbal Chahal is new BMC chief as Covid-19 deaths cross 400

In a major development, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray Friday shunted Praveen Pardeshi from the Mumbai civic commissioner's post, as the city counted 437 deaths from the novel coronavirus. Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state, with Mumbai contributing a bulk of the novel coronavirus cases at 11,394.

Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development) Iqbal Singh Chahal has replaced Pardeshi to the civic commissioner's post, while Pardeshi has been transferred as the new Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development).

Thackeray has also moved out Mumbai's Additional Municipal Commissioner Abbasaheb Jarhad. Former Thane Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal, who was on compulsory waiting, will succeed Jarhad. Jarhad will take over as Secretary, Relief and Rehabilitation from Kishoreraje Nimbalkar, who has newly been appointed as the Public Works Department Secretary.

Ashwini Bhide, former Managing Director of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation, will also take over as additional municipal commissioner in the Mumbai civic body. She has succeeded Jayshree Bhoj to the post. Bhide had earlier been sent on a special assignment to the BMC to help with COVID-19 control measures.

At the time of filing this report, senior officials confirmed that the transfer orders had been signed but were yet to be issued.

(Inputs and image from theindianexpress.com)