Dinesh Kamath's Editorial "Tukaram Mundhe is ‘Arvind Kejriwal of Navi Mumbai’'" that was published in Newsband

Tukaram Mundhe is ‘Arvind Kejriwal of Navi Mumbai’

A no-confidence motion was passed by the corporators of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) against its commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. This is perhaps the first time in the history of the civic body that such a motion has been passed against the commissioner. NMMC is controlled by the NCP. The motion was passed 105-6. After the motion was passed, Mayor Sonawane said it would be forwarded to the Maharashtra government for its approval.

In the bollywood movie ‘Nayak’ when Shivaji Rao (Anil Kapoor) takes over as Chief Minister of Maharashtra for just one day, one can’t help but root for him – the everyman’s neta; the chosen one who will plug all the leaks in our ‘system’. Navi Mumbai’s Very Own No-Nonsense Nayak is Tukaram Mundhe, IAS.

Tukaram Mundhe, IAS, took over the post of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation Chief in May 2016, and in less than three months he has stirred the sleeping satellite city back to life. He has taken a step towards making Navi Mumbai environment-friendly by sending a city-wide notice calling for the segregation of waste. Residents have now begun to differentiate their waste between wet and dry, which goes for composting or recycling, respectively.

Mundhe holds “Walk with Commissioner” every Sunday, where residents can approach him with their problems, directly. Action is also immediate.

Mundhe’s scrapping of three multi-crore projects approved previously, terming them as “unnecessary”, as is often the case when parties involved have monetary or political ambitions, speaks for his integrity. Apart from removing 1,916 illegal hawkers, 1,808 hutments and 1,010 hoardings, 2,492 commercial establishments have been fined for not having the required Occupation Certificate (OC) and violating MRTP (Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices) rules. His most bold move has been to order demolitions of over 250 gaothans that emerged after December 2012, as dictated by government regularisation last year.

No one likes a profiteering system to be shaken up. Ironically, Mundhe has managed to unite corporators and politicians across party lines, who are now aggressively and openly lobbying for his transfer.

Sensing the increasing political pressure to transfer Mundhe, the citizens have now come together to protest and petition for the continuing term of the one officer they believe can change their city. An online petition with over 6,000 signatures is currently open, with thousands more pouring in to encourage and support the honest work Mundhe has been doing.

Mundhe remains unfazed. He goes about his work with no regard for fear or favour. Honest, efficient and result-oriented officials have nothing to fear but those indulging in dishonest practices have a reason to worry. Mundhe has been transferred eight times in ten years, as is the fate of many honest civil servants. As the DC of Solapur, he took on the sand and land mafia, even putting his life in danger; he was attacked by the sand mafia in January 2016 but was rescued in time. He completed successful probes into over 600 check dams built in the region since 2002, and declared over 12,000 water structures only for drinking water purposes, bringing almost immediate drought relief to the area. He made seven municipal council open defecation-free in Solapur.

The Dynamic Navi Mumbai Municipal Commissioner has taken the 21st-century city by storm the way Arvind Kerjriwal had in the past stunned entire India. From businessmen to politicians and common men, the name Tukaram Mundhe is on everybody’s lips. While common men are celebrating Mundhe’s entry, his presence is sending some serious thrills and shiver to those who have been involved in illegal and corrupt practices all throughout.

Only an honest, upright, dynamic and highly disciplined bureaucrat with zero tolerance to corruption and illegal activities can irk the city politicians with his outstanding work. No wonder, the politicians of Navi Mumbai are already irked by this man. Being an upright officer and working solely for the upliftment of the people, Mundhe is already in good books of CM Devendra Fadnavis. His opponents have made him so famous that he can use that fame to win the seat of MP in Lok Sabha. It won’t be wrong to say that Tukaram Mundhe is Arvind Kejriwal of Navi Mumbai.