From Gagrani to Bhide: Maharashtra sees retirement of a Gem, Mumbai Gets a Lioness!
Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani retired yesterday after distinguished service to Maharashtra. Ashwini Bhide, Additional Chief Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office, has taken charge as the new Municipal Commissioner of the MCGM.
I know Ashwini Tai gets irritated when labelled as the “first woman” commissioner, and with all the buzz in the media since yesterday. Let me say this clearly: she is a woman who is far stronger, more disciplined, ethical, and result-oriented than most men around her. She is a lioness in the truest sense. The coming two years will prove once again what the “Metro Woman” is made of. Mark my words.
As for Bhushan Gagrani, in my 16 years of journalism, I have rarely come across a better bureaucrat. Just a week before his retirement, once it became clear he would not get an extension or any of the rumored postings, I messaged him: “Sir, you will remain my favourite bureaucrat till date.”
This man is the Sharad Pawar or Devendra Fadnavis of the bureaucracy. Hundreds of serving officers still look up to him as a mentor. His passion for public health is unmatched. Whenever I asked which sector interested him most, he would always say infrastructure or public health. He also excelled in CIDCO and MIDC. Many of the projects conceived, built, and executed under him are now being claimed by those who came after. The same was true for former MMRDA Commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee, who was visibly upset when some additional municipal commissioners took credit for the Coastal Road project that he had pioneered.
Gagrani missed the opportunity to become the next Chief Secretary due to reasons I don’t wish to discuss today. Yet, he accepted his retirement with utmost grace. Unlike many, he never went door-to-door lobbying for a post-retirement assignment. I had even suggested that his experience would make him a perfect fit for a senior role in Mining, which is closely monitored by the PMO. His reply was simple: “Vikrant, I won’t ask for anything. If it comes on merit, it is fine.”
In the last year or so, he was unfairly labelled as belonging to a particular “camp” — something that was never true. A gentle reminder to serving bureaucrats: your proximity to any neta is being closely watched and reported.
I compared Gagrani to Sharad Pawar, Devendra Fadnavis, or Eknath Shinde in the bureaucratic context because, like them, he never knew how to say “no” — unless saying “yes” would harm the state or his principles. In all my interactions, I never once saw him lose his temper. He had the unique ability to stay silent on uncomfortable topics with a calm, almost endearing smile. I have never heard any subordinate complain that he shouted at or insulted them. In fact, after expressing his displeasure, he would often shield them from higher-ups without compromising on standards.
Those who know him closely will testify that he attended personal events — be it a child’s naming ceremony, birthday, thread ceremony, shop opening, puja, or Ganpati celebration — not just for the influential, but for anyone he genuinely liked. He would make it a point to drop by, even if only for five or ten minutes. He has even attended one or two shows of Asif Bhamla.
Now that he has hung up his boots, I am sure he will continue his fitness journey with his equally fitness-conscious wife, Dr Sheetal. He will keep showing us the power of clean eating, discipline, and sharp dressing. I always felt that if he had dyed his white hair and spent more time on the party circuit, he could have easily given Vijay Singhal or Parag Jain Nainiuttia a run for their money. A thorough gentleman, always smiling.
Sir, I will miss you. Maharashtra will miss you. We will all miss your calm demeanour, classy working style, never-say-no attitude, and your deep love for Maharashtra and the Marathi language.
Ashwini Tai, if Sachin has hung up his boots and passed the baton to Virat, that’s how I see this transition. I am amused by how some prominent builders and liaisons are suddenly posting your photos on social media to show how close they are to you. They don’t know the real Ashwini Bhide yet. Wait and watch. At the same time, rest assured — any file without merit will find its way to the bin.
Once again, thank you, Bhushan Gagrani Sir, for everything. Enjoy your retirement.
And a warm welcome to Smt. Ashwini Bhide ji!
With respect,
Vikrant Meena Hemant Joshi.
