Gondia, Apr 6 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Mangesh Gondavale took over as the new collector of the Gondia district in eastern Maharashtra on Monday.
The officiating Additional Collector and Resident Deputy Collector (RDC), Bhaiyasaheb Behre, handed over the charge to the 2015-batch IAS officer at a brief ceremony held at the Collectorate.
Gondavale, who previously served as Managing Director of MAIDC (Maharashtra Agriculture Industrial Development Corporation), succeeded Prajit Nair, who has been transferred.
Speaking to the media later, the new district collector listed his priorities and asserted that his focus would be on ensuring the welfare of the residents of Gondia and promoting industrial growth.
"This is my first posting in Vidarbha, and Gondia, being a district with a majority tribal population and more than 51 per cent forest cover, offers significant potential for working in these areas. We also plan to explore the possibilities for industrial growth in the district," said Gondavale.
Before coming to Vidarbha, the bureaucrat had primarily served in Marathwada in central Maharashtra and Mumbai.
Gondavale has completed his PhD in economics with a specialization in taxation and has extensive experience working in the GST department.