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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Seventy-six mayors ruled BMC since 1931

After four years, Mumbai to salute its first citizen Kishori Pednekar Vishwanath Mahadeshwar Snehal Ambekar Sunil Prabhu Mumbai: As the date for appointing Mumbai’s First Citizen looms closer, various political parties have adopted tough posturing to foist their own person for the coveted post of Mayor – the ‘face’ of the country’s commercial capital. Ruling Mahayuti allies Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena have vowed that the city...

Seventy-six mayors ruled BMC since 1931

After four years, Mumbai to salute its first citizen Kishori Pednekar Vishwanath Mahadeshwar Snehal Ambekar Sunil Prabhu Mumbai: As the date for appointing Mumbai’s First Citizen looms closer, various political parties have adopted tough posturing to foist their own person for the coveted post of Mayor – the ‘face’ of the country’s commercial capital. Ruling Mahayuti allies Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena have vowed that the city will get a ‘Hindu Marathi’ person to head India’s richest civic body, while the Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT)-Maharashtra Navnirman Sena also harbour fond hopes of a miracle that could ensure their own person for the post. The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) optimism stems from expectations of possible political permutations-combinations that could develop with a realignment of forces as the Supreme Court is hearing the cases involving the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party this week. Catapulted as the largest single party, the BJP hopes to install a first ever party-man as Mayor, but that may not create history. Way back in 1982-1983, a BJP leader Dr. Prabhakar Pai had served in the top post in Mumbai (then Bombay). Incidentally, Dr. Pai hailed from Udupi district of Karnataka, and his appointment came barely a couple of years after the BJP was formed (1980), capping a distinguished career as a city father, said experts. Originally a Congressman, Dr. Pai later shifted to the Bharatiya Janata Party, then back to Congress briefly, founded the Janata Seva Sangh before immersing himself in social activities. Second Administrator The 2026 Mayoral elections have evoked huge interest not only among Mumbaikars but across the country as it comes after nearly four years since the BMC was governed by an Administrator. This was only the second time in the BMC history that an Administrator was named after April 1984-May 1985. On both occasions, there were election-related issues, the first time the elections got delayed for certain reasons and the second time the polling was put off owing to Ward delimitations and OBC quotas as the matter was pending in the courts. From 1931 till 2022, Mumbai has been lorded over by 76 Mayors, men and women, hailing from various regions, backgrounds, castes and communities. They included Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Parsis, Sikhs, even a Jew, etc., truly reflecting the cosmopolitan personality of the coastal city and India’s financial powerhouse. In 1931-1932, the Mayor was a Parsi, J. B. Boman Behram, and others from his community followed like Khurshed Framji Nariman (after whom Nariman Point is named), E. A. Bandukwala, Minoo Masani, B. N. Karanjia and other bigwigs. There were Muslims like Hoosenally Rahimtoola, Sultan M. Chinoy, the legendary Yusuf Meherally, Dr. A. U. Memon and others. The Christian community got a fair share of Mayors with Joseph A. D’Souza – who was Member of Constituent Assembly representing Bombay Province for writing-approving the Constitution of India, M. U. Mascarenhas, P. A. Dias, Simon C. Fernandes, J. Leon D’Souza, et al. A Jew Elijah Moses (1937-1938) and a Sikh M. H. Bedi (1983-1984), served as Mayors, but post-1985, for the past 40 years, nobody from any minority community occupied the august post. During the silver jubilee year of the post, Sulochana M. Modi became the first woman Mayor of Mumbai (1956), and later with tweaks in the rules, many women ruled in this post – Nirmala Samant-Prabhavalkar (1994-1995), Vishakha Raut (997-1998), Dr. Shubha Raul (March 2007-Nov. 2009), Shraddha Jadhav (Dec. 2009-March 2012), Snehal Ambedkar (Sep. 2014-March 2017). The last incumbent (before the Administrator) was a government nurse, Kishori Pednekar (Nov. 2019-March 2022) - who earned the sobriquet of ‘Florence Nightingale’ of Mumbai - as she flitted around in her full white uniform at the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic, earning the admiration of the citizens. Mumbai Mayor – high-profile post The Mumbai Mayor’s post is considered a crucial step in the political ladder and many went on to become MLAs, MPs, state-central ministers, a Lok Sabha Speaker, Chief Ministers and union ministers. The formidable S. K. Patil was Mayor (1949-1952) and later served in the union cabinets of PMs Jawaharlal Nehru, Lah Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi; Dahyabhai V. Patel (1954-1955) was the son of India’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel; Manohar Joshi (1976-1977) became the CM of Maharashtra, later union minister and Speaker of Lok Sabha; Chhagan Bhujbal (1985-1986 – 1990-1991) became a Deputy CM.

Road safety council not met since April 2023

  • PTI
  • Jun 8, 2025
  • 3 min read
AI generated pic
AI generated pic

By Kailash Korde


Mumbai: Despite Maharashtra witnessing 36,567 fatalities and 83,820 road accidents between January 2023 and April 2025, a top road safety council headed by the state transport minister has not met even once in two years, officials said on Sunday.


Such is the situation that current transport minister Pratap Sarnaik said he was not even aware of the existence of the State Road Safety Council.


The last meeting of the State Road Safety Council was held on April 4, 2023 under Eknath Shinde, current Deputy Chief Minister. He was CM at the time and held the transport portfolio, these officials said.


After the Maharashtra government constituted the council as per rule 215 of Central Motor Vehicles Rules in May 2015, biannual meetings, which are mandatory, were held regularly till 2019, following which which only four meetings took place till 2023, they pointed out.


From 2015, there should have been 20 meetings of the State Road Safety Council as per rules but only 12 have taken place, a senior official said on condition of anonymity.


Council’s job

As per officials, the council mainly reviews accident data, monitors the implementation of safety measures, and issues policy directives, adding that it is a crucial platform for eradication of black spots, assess enforcement gaps, and coordinate between various departments.


Its complete inaction reflects administrative apathy, a retired RTO official said.


"I am unaware of the existence of the State Road Safety Council. It is unfortunate my department did not even inform me about such an important body. I will convene a meeting of this council in June itself," Sarnaik, when contacted, told PTI.


Maharashtra Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar, who is also member-secretary of the council, said meetings could not be held primarily due to the election code of conduct.


Maharashtra witnessed Lok Sabha polls in May-June 2024 and assembly polls some months later in November.


Bhimanwar, however, said several other meetings, including those of high-power committees, were held to discuss road safety issues and important decisions were taken.


The file for convening a meeting of the State Road Safety Council is in motion and it will happen soon, he asserted.


Activists and experts emphasized that meetings of statutory bodies like the State Road Safety Council must be conducted regularly.


"In order to achieve the target of reducing deaths and injuries by 50 per cent by 2030, we need to have a clear action plan with targets for each department and associated budgets, said Ranjit Gadgil, programme director of Pune-based NGO Parisar.


"Rajasthan has recently made such a plan. Maharashtra should also revise the 2018 action plan and develop a programme, which should be reviewed periodically by statutory committees such as the State Road Safety Council," Gadgil said.


Huge registration

Maharashtra has over 4 crore registered vehicles, and witnesses more than 35,000 accidents and 15,000 deaths annually, with the grim figures continuing to rise, raising serious questions on effectiveness of road safety measures, experts said.


The transport department has been with the Shiv Sena since Shinde became CM in June 2022. He held it in his government and Sarnaik became transport minister when the Devendra Fadnavis dispensation came to power in December last year.


RTO officials said it was the responsibility of the transport minister or transport commissioner to convene meetings of the council. On May 13, 2015, the Maharashtra government constituted the State Road Safety Council headed by the transport minister, along with district road safety committees.


The Maharashtra transport commissioner is member-secretary of the 22-member committee, which includes eight special invitees.


Other members include the Public Works Department (PWD) Minister, Minister of State for Transport, Minister of State for PWD.


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