The Times of India                01.11.2010

Asit Vora is new city mayor

AHMEDABAD: Among deafening drumbeats and victory slogans, Asit Vora took over as the new mayor of the city on Sunday. It was a unique ceremony where the outgoing mayor Kanaji Thakore presided over the first general body meeting after the elections and then invited Vora to take charge as the new mayor.

Similarly the outgoing deputy mayor Kalpana Bhatt invited Darshana Vaghela, corporator from the Dudheshwar ward, as the new deputy mayor. Thaltej corporator Bhupendra Patel was unanimously elected as the standing committee chairman. Gautam Shah, who is the corporator for the Naranpura ward, was elected the BJP chief at AMC.

The grand ceremony was held in the newly constructed Mahatma Gandhi hall on Sunday on the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

“Ahmedabad is among the fastest-growing cities in the world today. Preserving the city’s character and helping it nurture the fruits of development is what I aim during my tenure as mayor of the city. In a global city like ours, the need for more open spaces, reliable transport and encouraging development that can create job opportunities is what I feel is important to this city,” said Vora.

Vora was first noticed when he won the best health committee chairman award in the state. He has also been the transport committee and roads and building committee chairman. He is the outgoing standing committee chairman of AMC.

The new standing committee chairman Bhupendra Patel who took over from Vora told TOI, “Speedy implementation of projects in the city is the key to development. We would evaluate infrastructure requirements in the city and where it lacks at the moment.”