Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis appointed Ashwini Bhide, the chief of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), as principal secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). This marks the first time a woman IAS officer has been appointed to such a position in the CMO.
Bhide, a 1995 batch IAS officer, has been deeply involved in Mumbai’s urban infrastructure development for several years. Bhide, 55, served as the MMRC head from January 5, 2015, to January 23, 2020. Under her leadership, MMRC has been tasked with completing the Metro 3 project, which will connect SEEPZ to Navy Nagar.
Bhide pushed Metro project despite Aarey shed opposition
During Fadnavis’ first tenure as CM, he entrusted Bhide with the responsibility of completing the Mumbai Metro project. She faced a lot of opposition, particularly regarding the construction of the metro car shed at Aarey Milk Colony. Despite this, Bhide succeeded in pushing the project forward with strong backing from Fadnavis.
After the change in government, Bhide was transferred to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation but was brought back to lead MMRC again in June 2022. Before her role at MMRC, she served as the additional commissioner of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) from 2008 to 2014, where she gained much experience in infrastructure development.
Bhide to replace Singh as principal secretary
In her new role, Bhide will replace Brijesh Singh as principal secretary in the CMO, while continuing her leadership role at MMRC. Phase 1 of the Metro 3 project was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the elections, with subsequent phases expected to open to the public by July 2025. Currently, the CM secretariat is led by additional chief secretary Vikas Kharge, while Shrikar Pardeshi has been appointed as secretary.
