Sanjeev Kirwar, IAS officer who emptied Delhi stadium to walk his dog, appointed as Commissioner of MCD

The Central Government appointed Sanjeev Kirwar as the Commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). He is a 1994-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre.

Khirwar will take office just before MCD’s budget presentation, scheduled for later in the month. This comes amid key administrative and financial challenges.

The commissioner plays a crucial role in overseeing the corporation’s daily functions, implementing policies and coordinating with various departments.

Kirwar was at the centre of a controversy in 2022 when it was reported that he would walk his dog at Delhi government-run Thyagraj Stadium and athletes were forced to finish practice earlier than usual.

Kirwar, who was then posted in Delhi as the Principal Secretary (Revenue) and the Divisional Commissioner, denied the claim. He was, however, transferred to Ladakh.

The IAS officer served as the Private Secretary to then Women and Child Development minister Krishna Tirath between 2009 and 2014.

Later, he was posted in the Commerce ministry and was transferred to Delhi in 2018 as the Secretary, Health and Family Welfare.

He has also been posted in the environment, general administration and revenue departments.

Kirwar will replace Ashwani Kumar, a 1992-batch IAS officer, who has been transferred to Jammu and Kashmir.

Kumar held the post from June 2024 to January 2026. Prior to that, he served as the special officer (SO) overseeing the unification of the three municipal corporations into the unified MCD between May 2022 and February 2023, till the elections were held and mayor was appointed.