The Hindu : New Delhi News : Heads roll over Raj Ghat lapses

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 06, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Heads roll over Raj Ghat lapses

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, OCT. 5. Stung by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's strong criticism over the upkeep and maintenance of the area surrounding Mahatma Gandhi's Samadhi here at Raj Ghat, the Municipal Commissioner, Rakesh Mehta, yesterday suspended a junior engineer and an assistant engineer, removed the area chief engineer, transferred the Deputy Commissioner (City Zone) and imposed major penalties on two other officials for their laxity and unprofessional conduct in discharge of their duties.

The Deputy Commissioner (City Zone), S.K. Mehrotra, has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner (Sadar-Paharganj Zone). Chander Bhushan Kumar will replace him. Similarly, Sant Lal, Chief Engineer (Works), was removed and not given any fresh posting. Deepak Khosla (Assistant Engineer) has been placed under suspension along with Nutan (Junior Engineer). The MCD Commissioner also imposed major penalties on Girish Sharma, Executive Engineer, and Ram Prakash, Superintendent Engineer, for their failure to discharge their duties effectively and in a responsible manner.

The suspensions come in the wake of the serious note taken by the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, of the poor maintenance of roads and filth lying all around the outer periphery of Raj Ghat during her visit to Mahatma Gandhi's Samadhi on Gandhi Jayanti Day, October 2.

The Chief Minister had sought an explanation from the Urban Development Minister, A.K. Walia, and the Municipal Commissioner, Rakesh Mehta, for the serious lapses and made it clear that such a situation was unacceptable. So annoyed was the Chief Minister with the upkeep of the roads leading to Raj Ghat that she called up both Mr. Mehta and Dr. Walia from the spot itself and pointed out the lapses. The MCD along with Public Works Department is in-charge of maintenance of the area. Despite knowing that the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, frequent the area not a single Congress leader from the Corporation visited or inspected the preparations for such an important function. Not only were the roads around the Samadhi ill-maintained, but the zebra crossing leading to Raj Ghat had also been dug up and left unrepaired.

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