Bhatkal Upgraded to City Municipal Council, Babasaheb Mane Takes Charge as First Commissioner
Expanded civic limits bring new responsibilities as focus shifts to improving basic urban services
Bhatkal has been officially upgraded to a City Municipal Council following a decision by the state government. After the announcement, Babasaheb Mane assumed charge as the first Municipal Commissioner of the newly formed civic body.
As per the final government notification, the Bhatkal City Municipal Council now covers an area of 22.67 square kilometres. The expanded limits include the existing municipal area along with Jali Town Panchayat and Heble Gram Panchayat, significantly increasing the council’s administrative reach.
Babasaheb Mane, who has been serving in the municipality for the past two years, has been promoted to the post of Commissioner under government orders. During the transition, former Chief Officer Venkatesh Naik formally handed over the responsibilities and welcomed him to his new role.
In his first address after taking charge, Mane outlined his key priorities. These include improving sanitation, strengthening the street lighting system, ensuring a reliable drinking water supply, and enhancing essential civic facilities across the town.
He also appealed to residents to cooperate with the administration in maintaining cleanliness, especially by properly segregating waste into wet, dry, and hazardous categories.
The new Commissioner assured that prompt and effective steps would be taken to resolve public grievances. He emphasized that efforts would be made to address civic issues on time and to accelerate development work within the jurisdiction of the City Municipal Council.
