New municipal commissioner Sitaram Kunte (51), the youngest person to hold the post, will be expected to deliver all that has been planned so far, which includes 24x7 water supply and the new property tax system. Kunte was not a frontrunner for the post and Monday afternoon’s announcement came as a surprise to many at the planning department where he was principal secretary from June 13, 2011. With very little time to get acquainted with the civic body, Kunte said his top priority would be pre-monsoon preparations. “With monsoon round the corner, priority would be given to prepare the city for it. Roads, malaria and nullah cleaning would be the major works at the moment,” said Kunte.However, Kunte is not a new hand at the BMC. From 2000-05 , he served as joint municipal commissioner (improvements ) and additional municipal commissioner (projects), handling the BMC’s finances along with major water supply and sewage projects. Kunte, who called himself “a junior officer” to outgoing civic chief Subodh Kumar, said he was happy to take over the reigns from Kumar. “Kumar would be remembered in the history of the civic body as someone who took bold decisions in shaping the future of the city,” said Kunte, who worked with Kumar in the BMC between 2000-01.Kunte is not a man in a hurry, likes doing things at his own pace and is known to be a quiet, hands-on worker. As Mhada vice-chairman and CEO from 2005-06, he unearthed scams by rent collectors who let out Mhada’s transit tenements in league with real estate agents. He suspended 24 Mhada employees directly or indirectly involved in cases of cheating, forgery and misappropriation.Kunte was promoted as secretary to the governor before being transferred to the housing department in 2008-10 where he helped draft the amendment to the Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act to bring in a housing regulator and introduce the concept of deemed conveyance. Asked how he would utilise this experience in improving poor housing conditions, Kunte said, “Various inquiries are on as far as housing is concerned. I will look into the matter.”He was later posted as secretary, revenue and forests. As revenue secretary , Kunte pointed out two “serious lacunae” in Adarsh housing society — it had not taken permission from the MCZMA/MoEF and that the building exceeded the prescribed FSI for development in a CRZ area. Based on the report, the MCZMA had recommended that the building be demolished.The new chief’s biggest challenge, sources said, would be to end corruption and the builder-politician nexus in the building proposals and development plan departments.While several infrastructure plans are in the pipeline, basic civic services are still lacking. Kunte would have to ensure that work on ongoing projects continues smoothly and citizens get speedy services and clearances at the ward level.Some projects crucial to Kunte’s game plan are the implementation of 24x7 water supply, road improvements , concretizing and asphalting and strengthening water distribution.