Ranchi, March 19: After a long wait of nearly three years, Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, has finally established a new municipal government. Newly elected Mayor Roshni Khalkho, along with 53 ward councilors, took the oath of office on Thursday. The oath was administered by Ranchi’s Deputy Commissioner, Manjunath Bhajantri.
Following the councilors’ oath-taking, elections were held for the Deputy Mayor position. Neeraj Kumar, a BJP-backed candidate from Ward 31, emerged victorious, securing support from 38 out of 53 councilors. In contrast, the Mahagathbandhan candidate, Paramjeet Singh from Ward 44, received 15 votes. This outcome has clarified the political dynamics within the municipal corporation.
After the oath, Mayor Roshni Khalkho reiterated her commitment to the city’s overall development, emphasizing that cleanliness, improvement of basic facilities, and public welfare issues will remain her top priorities.
It is noteworthy that Roshni Khalkho, a BJP-supported candidate, won the recent election by defeating Congress-backed candidate Rama Khalkho by nearly 14,000 votes. After the oath-taking ceremony, the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and all councilors formally assumed their responsibilities at the municipal office. The new board has already begun working towards the city’s development, infrastructure expansion, and addressing civic issues.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth congratulated Deputy Mayor Neeraj Kumar, stating that he must live up to the trust placed in him by the public and councilors. He expressed hope that the new team would work towards making Ranchi one of the leading cities in the country.
However, the new municipal government faces significant challenges. Currently, the financial situation of the Ranchi Municipal Corporation is under pressure. A budget of approximately ₹2,610 crore has been approved for the current financial year, but only about ₹115 crore has been collected so far. Consequently, the implementation of development plans will largely depend on grants from the central and state governments. The city is already grappling with serious basic issues such as drinking water supply, roads, drainage, sanitation, and traffic management. Addressing these challenges with limited resources will be a major task for the new board.
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