Anjana Panda took over as the new Commissioner of the Brahmapur Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday. Taking charge from the outgoing Commissioner Ajit Mishra, Panda has become the first women administrator in the long 147-year history of the Brahmapur civic body.
Panda joined as the fourth Commissioner of the BMC since its elevation about six years back. Notably, the BMC’s Mayor and Deputy Mayor are also women, K Madhavi and Jyoshna Nayak, respectively. Similarly, 23 out of 40 Corporators are also women, sources said.
Earlier to her new assignment, Panda, a senior OAS (I) Officer, was working as the Deputy Secretary of the Urban Development Department in Bhubaneswar. The Corporators and BMC staffs welcomed the new Commissioner and bid farewell to the outgoing Commissioner at a brief meeting held at the BMC conference hall. Panda told reporters that her priorities would be to beautify the city and to provide basic amenities to the denizens.
There are many challenges for Panda to handle. The BMC recently stopped collecting garbage’s from door to door on the pretext of shortage of staff and lack of fund. Similarly, public drains are not working and have become mosquito breeding centers, quipped some residents.