The Hindu : New Delhi News : MCD engineer was highly depressed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 25, 2006
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New Delhi

MCD engineer was highly depressed

Staff Reporter

Was undergoing treatment after dismissal

NEW DELHI: Former Municipal Corporation of Delhi executive engineer Naresh Gupta who committed suicide at his Adarsh Nagar residence here on Sunday evening had been highly depressed and undergoing treatment at a leading private hospital for the past few months. A topper from the Delhi College of Engineering, Mr. Gupta was upset over his dismissal by the MCD and an impending inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation had made him more vulnerable.

Mr. Gupta is survived by his wife and two children.

At the time of his dismissal in April this year, Mr. Gupta was posted in the civic body's Maintenance Department and action against him was initiated for alleged irregularities committed by him during his posting in the Building Department at Shahdara (South) Zone.

In April this year, the MCD had terminated 18 executive engineers of the Building Department who were allegedly found responsible for "conniving and abetting large-scale unauthorised construction and rampant conversion of residential properties into commercial ones in their zones between 2001 and 2005".

After his dismissal, Mr. Gupta took to assisting his father in running his shop in the area. Mr. Gupta had first joined the civic body as a junior engineer in 1988 and in 1990 cleared an entrance examination to get direct entry as an assistant engineer. He was promoted as executive engineer in 1998.

"After his dismissal, he was very upset. He seldom interacted with his family members. Most of his DCE batch-mates and friends are well settled and are in top positions, some in the US. But he chose to join the MCD. His unceremonious removal followed by refusal to his request to tender an explanation left him more dejected. His case going to the CBI also came as a rude shock to him and he probably thought it was the end to his career," said a family member.

Meanwhile, Mr. Gupta's suicide has left many other engineers in the civic body shocked.

The MCD Engineers' Forum has decided to call a general body meeting on Thursday to pay homage to their departed colleague and discuss the situation. Engineers are likely to give mass resignation in protest against alleged harassment of engineers.

MCD leaders are also stunned by the incident. "It is the harassment of engineers that has left a large number of them dejected. Mr. Gupta's suicide exposes how the MCD has failed to safeguard interest of their own employees," said senior BJP Councillor Vijender Gupta, demanding action against officials responsible for the incident.

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