Senior IAS officer BH Anil Kumar has been named as the new Commissioner of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) replacing Manjunath Prasad by a list of transfer orders issued on Thursday.
Anil Kumar who was previously the Additional Chief Secretary to the Government in the Urban Development Department will take charge as the commissioner of the civic body with immediate effect.
Prasad’s transfer was anticipated with him completing three years in the position. However, it was speculated that his transfer by the new regime under Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa will come only after the bye-elections were over. Other than the role as Commissioner, the position also involves the role of the District Election Commissioner.
Before this transfer order, Manjunath Prasad was reinstated as BBMP Commissioner in May post the 2018 Assembly elections after he was transferred in the run-up to the elections following a complaint by the BJP made to the Election Commission.
In other important transfers involving the state capital, M Maheshwar Rao was announced as the new chairman of the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) replacing Tushar Giri Nath. Till now, Maheshwar Rao was the Secretary to Government, Commerce and Industries Department.
Harsh Gupta was appointed as the Regional Commissioner, Bengaluru Division. His previous position of Secretary, Housing Department will be taken up by Manoj Kumar Meera.
Maheshwar Rao was incidentally appointed as the BBMP Commissioner when Manjunath Prasad was shunted out of the BBMP temporarily.
Prior to Thursday's transfer order Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on Monday ordered the transfer of other IAS officers posted for the civic administration, including the Commissioner of the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) after just 49 days in her post.
N Manjula, the outgoing BDA Commissioner, was replaced by GC Prakash, a 2006-batch IAS officer. He is the third BDA Commissioner in two years.