Ashirwad takes charge as collector, focuses on admin review, priorities

Nagpur: IAS officer Kumar Ashirwad on Monday assumed charge as Nagpur district collector succeeding Vipin Itankar. Soon after taking charge, Ashirwad convened a meeting with department heads to review ongoing schemes, administrative functions and key initiatives. He also conducted a round of the district collectorate, personally visiting depts and interacting with officials and staff to understand workflows and ensure smooth governance.Ashirwad also reviewed preparations for the upcoming visit of President Droupadi Murmu, scheduled on April 15 and 16 to attend programmes at the National Academy of Direct Taxes (NADT) and AIIMS. He assessed security, logistics and coordination among depts, issuing necessary directions to officials.Outlining his immediate priorities, Ashirwad said the next three to four weeks would be dedicated to understanding Nagpur's administration in depth. He plans to meet elected representatives, industrial stakeholders and social organisations.An IIT Kharagpur graduate in civil engineering, Ashirwad, born in 1988 in Jharkhand, belongs to the 2016 IAS batch, Maharashtra cadre. He has held several administrative roles, including assistant collector, collector and CEO of Zilla Parishad.During his tenure as Gadchiroli ZP CEO, Ashirwad led innovative initiatives in education and child nutrition. He spearheaded the nationally recognised ‘Fulora' programme during Covid-19 pandemic, which supported primary school students in remote areas through community-driven learning. Ashirwad also demonstrated his hands-on approach by visiting remote villages such as Binagunda in Gadchiroli, trekking through muddy terrain to personally assess development works and interact with locals.Prior to Nagpur, Ashirwad served as Solapur collector, where he focused on transparent administration, streamlined governance and efficient delivery of public services. Known for his direct engagement with field-level operations, he has established a reputation for a hands-on, results-oriented administrative style.