Kunal Khemnar is the new Pune additional commissioner

Mrunal Jadhav

Pune, August 22, 2020: Two days after Kunal Khemnar was appointed as managing director (MD) of the Haffkine Institute, he has been transferred and designated the post of additional commissioner in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

Khemnar was appointed at the position of MD at Haffkine Institute after its former MD Rajesh Deshmukh was recently appointed as the new Pune collector. However, ever since the third additional commissioner of the corporation, Vipin Sharma was transferred a few days ago, the position remained vacant. PMC had only two additional commissioners in-charge at the frontline during Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation in the city. Whereas, Rubel Agarwal holds the responsibility of chief executive officer (CEO) at Pune Smart City. While additional commissioner Shantanu Goyal who has been infected by COVID-19 will unable to work for the next few days. Therefore, There was a demand to fill the third vacancy, hence within 72 hours of his new appointment, Khemnar received an immediate transfer to the PMC office as an additional commissioner.

Groundwater Survey Development Agency Director, Kaustubh Diwegaonkar has been transferred as the district collector of Osmanabad. The state government hasn’t filled the vacancy yet. Diwegaonkar had taken over as the director of Groundwater Survey Development Agency two years ago, during his tenure, new groundwater regulations were designed for the state. He has previously served as the commissioner of the Latur Municipal Corporation, Chief Executive Officer of Jalgaon Zilla Parishad.