A ‘gentleman’ who shies away from spotlight, but not from accountability - New BMC chief Sitaram Kunte knows urban devpt, housing, public administration inside out

A ‘gentleman’ who shies away from spotlight, but not from accountability

l New BMC chief knows urban devpt, housing, public administration inside out

At the time names for the post of the new Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner were being bandied about, Sitaram Kunte was not even on the list of front-runners. But the dark horse who was appointed as the new civic chief on Monday aptly fit the bill: he stays away from controversies, is upright and keeps a low profile; just the man chief minister Prithviraj Chavan was looking for to contain the rampant corruption in the system and to enforce a sense of accountability. Chavan, who exercises the utmost caution while making appointments for top posts, was reportedly determined to have an officer who is both a gentleman and is clean. Kunte is not new to the system, though. He has held the charge of the principal secretary of the planning department, Maharashtra government. Prior to that, he was a secretary in the ministry of housing. Kunte had played a significant role in the evolving of a comprehensive housing policy of the Democratic Front government a few years ago. The policy’s objective was to make housing affordable to all sections in the city; it incorporated elements of competitiveness among developers and promoted rental housing policies. He has also worked on the concept of cluster development and planned the re-development of Dharavi project. Kunte was also entrusted with an additional charge of principal secretary, energy department. He has to his credit almost 27 years of service in the public administration. A 1985-batch IAS officer, Kunte has quietly shouldered administrative responsibilities. At the Mantralaya, his associates will vouch that he has always shied away from taking any credit. A graduate from the Delhi School of Economics, Kunte completed his LLB from the Lala Lajpatrai College of Law, University of Mumbai. Later, he studied at the School of Public Policy, University of Birmingham, UK, and at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University. In the corridors of power, he is known as an officer who has specialised in matters relating to urban development, housing and public administration. Kunte is well-versed with the BMC’s functioning, as he had also served as the additional municipal commissioner in the past.