Municipal commissioner of Surat, M. Thennarasan, is a 2000 batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre. Over the years, he has worked across different sectors. He started his career as assistant collector at Gandhinagar and subsequently served as assistant collector at Vyara, Surat, from 2002 to 2004. He then worked as district development officer (DDO) in Vadodara from 2004 to 2007.
Prior to joining the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), he served as deputy commissioner of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) for three years, where he was involved in the implementation of the Ahmedabad Bus Rapid Transit System Project and the Sabarmati River Front Project, besides several other initiatives. He then served as commissioner in the Geology and Mining Department. He has also been secretary of the Women and Child Development Department.
Over the course of his career he has won several awards, some of which include the Best DDO Award, Best Collector Award (Sabarkantha) and an award for the Svant Sukhay project. He has also been nominated for the Prime Minister’s Award for work related to pregnant women. Thennarasan played a crucial role in establishing Rann Utsav – a cultural festival in Gujarat during his tenure as district collector, Kutch (2007-09).
At SMC, Thennarasan is spearheading the implementation of the Smart Cities Mission and the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. For effective project implementation, he makes regular field visits to interact with the public and get information on progress on the ground. He is actively involved in the deployment of information technology at SMC to improve efficiency and increase citizen satisfaction. His main focus is to ensure round-the-clock water supply, cleaning of the Tapi river, pedestrian-friendly roads, and availability of quality transportation, health care and education for the residents of Surat. Under his leadership, Surat secured fourth rank in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and is amongst the leading cities in the implementation of the Smart Cities Mission. Surat also secured the “Best City Bus Service Award” from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Thennarasan has completed his graduation from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Coimbatore. In his free time, he prefers to spend time with family members and visit his relatives in Tamil Nadu. He also loves wildlife photography and oil painting. Securing 26th rank in the IAS examination is his most memorable moment.