Mumbai, March 31 Senior IAS officer Ashwini Bhide was appointed as the first woman commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday, an official said.
She took over from Bhushan Gagrani, who retired on Tuesday, at a ceremony at the BMC headquarters in south Mumbai in the evening.
The Mumbai civic body, established in 1872, is one of the oldest local self-governing bodies in India.
The BMC has a rich legacy and heritage of more than 150 years, Bhide told reporters after taking over as the new municipal commissioner.
She said her efforts would be to improve public transport safety for female commuters.
Bhide also stated that she would ensure that the city's nullah cleaning work is expedited before the monsoon season.
Bhide, a 1995 batch IAS officer, was the Additional Chief Secretary in the Chief Minister's Office and has been involved in many key infrastructure projects.
An official notification stated that she would also continue to hold the position of Managing Director of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation, where she played a key role in expanding the city's metro network.