The Hindu : New Delhi News : A pointer to bunglings in the civic body

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 04, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

A pointer to bunglings in the civic body

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The recent transfer of the Deputy Commissioner of Karol Bagh Zone, S.K. Mehrotra, to his parent cadre in Uttar Pradesh on reported charges of adopting a "pick and choose" policy while targeting illegal structures in his area highlights how senior civic body officials were misusing High Court order on unauthorised constructions to harass people.

The ongoing citywide drive has not only exposed how the civic body field employees and people, particularly the builder mafia, exploited the law to blatantly violate building by-laws but has also brought to light how officers have been clinging to their post for several years for monetary gains by violating service rules.

"For instance, Mr. Mehrotra has been on deputation from Uttar Pradesh in the civic body for the past seven years. Interestingly, for the past four years he has been in the MCD in gross violation of service rules that states that he should have gone back to his parent cadre after a three-year stint. But he continued and this was in the knowledge of senior MCD officers. Mr. Mehrotra is not alone, there are other senior officers also who continue to hold their lucrative posts in the civic body," remarked a senior MCD official.

And once the reports of field officers adopting a pick-and-choose policy started coming in, maximum complaints were against these same officers. "The Municipal Commissioner removed Mr. Mehrotra as several complaints were received against him, which includes that of violating court orders. Similarly, there are at least two other deputy commissioners who have been found guilty of acting against court orders, for which the Delhi High Court even reprimanded the MCD. These deputy commissioners allegedly connived with builders and shop-owners to spare their illegal properties," he added.

"Removing officers from their posts is not an easy task. We have prepared a list of tainted officers and want to remove them from their present posting, but pressure from political leaders, from the civic body as well as the Delhi Government, is making things difficult for us," he added.

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