From civic quarters to PMC hall: Son of conservancy staff elected as corporator in the same office where his parents work

In a heartwarming victory in the Pune civic polls, Mahesh Awale, 34, has become a corporator of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), where his parents work as conservancy staff.

“It is unbelievable that I have been elected as a corporator. My parents work as conservancy staff in the PMC, and we live in the civic quarters at Sane Guruji Nagar. It is all because of the opportunity given to me by my mentor and city BJP chief Dheeraj Ghate,” said an emotional Awale. He was elected from Navi Peth-Parvati ward on a reserved seat for the Scheduled Castes (SC).

He said his parents raised his two sisters and him from the salary they received as conservancy staff. “I have been brought up in the civic colony where the family stays. I have been groomed by Ghate since my childhood and guided me throughout my entire life,” said Awale, a diploma engineer. He now runs his own business after a brief stint as an employee in a private firm.

“I will work towards the sustainable development of the city while ensuring the progress of all. I will focus on basic health facilities for citizens of the ward I am representing and hold regular medical camps for women, senior citizens in the area,” he said.

Awale said that his priority list also includes improving the quality of education in civic schools and providing guidance to poor students to help them build professional careers. Students from low-income families need proper guidance to make their careers. I have seen the sufferings of the talented youths who could not be successful in their careers due to a lack of anyone to guide them,” he said.

Vilas Awale, father of Mahesh, says it was a proud moment for them when their son was elected as a corporator in the PMC, where his parents have worked as conservancy staff for the last 20 years. “Our initial life in Pune had been in slums, but later on, things improved with employment. However, we will continue with our work,” he said.

Awale, after starting his own business, has also improved the family’s financial condition and owns an apartment in Lokmanya Nagar and an agricultural plot in Bhor.

Awale is among the 119 BJP corporators elected to the PMC on January 16. The elected body of PMC for the next five years will now hold elections for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor. The elected representatives will also be appointed as members of various civic committees to make decisions related to the civic body.

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian... Read More