BMC Assistant Commissioner conducts session on ‘Open Spaces’ for IAS officers in Mussoorie academy – Times of India

In a first, an Assistant Municipal Commissioner (AMC) from the BMC conducted a session for a new batch of IAS officers at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie. AMC Sharad Ughade conducted a session for new IAS recruits on ‘creating good and sustainable open spaces in cities’. Ughade who is now posted in the BMC’s D Ward and is also the Director in the BMC’s Information Technology (IT) department. The LBSNAA is the is the apex training institute for the civil services in the country.
“It was a privilege to conduct a session for the fresh batch of IAS officers at (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie on a topic close to my heart, “Creating Good & Sustainable Open Spaces in Cities” based on my BMC work. Their response was indeed overwhelming. Will treasure this for life!” Ughade said in a post on twitter.
Ugade joined the BMC in 2012 after clearing the MPSC exams. Known as a tech savvy and hands-on officer, Ughade has worked in several areas of the city like Dadar (West), Bandra (West), Worli and now in South Mumbai’s Malabar Hill (D Ward). Ughade has done extensive work in developing open spaces like parks and gardens, beautification of public spaces including footpaths and traffic medians and islands. Also known as a no-nonsense officer, Ughade has carried out several demolition drives for creating open spaces and wide roads, besides pushing for more technological integration in the BMC through the IT department.
“Open spaces is an issue on which I have worked at the grassroots level so it was an honour to share my experiences with over 180 new IAS recruits. I spoke about practical challenges for developing and sustaining open spaces in cities like Mumbai. But the key factor is stakeholder consultation and getting local residents, elected representatives on board. Unless that is done, things can’t move. I shared details of some small but quick urban interventions that were done by BMC in Mumbai for creating and protecting open spaces,” Ughade said.
New recruits undergo an extensive training program at the LBSNAA. The training program is designed in a way and pattern so that it helps the IAS officers to equip with the essential skills and knowledge to efficiently carry out their roles as administrators. During their training at LBSNAA, the fresh recruits attend different lectures and workshops on topics like Indian Constitution, public policy, governance, administrative law, and management.