Patna,(BiharTimes): The Bihar government on Friday suspended the Commissioner of Patna Municipal Corporation, Kuldeep Narayan, on the charge of not purchasing the fogging machine.
However, the Patna High Court t on Friday took strong exception to reports of the state suspending the Commissioner of Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) when it had put a stay on it.
The Bench asked Additional Advocate General Rai Shivajinath about state government notification about PMC Commissioner's suspension which he could not furnish.
The suspension has sparked off a row between the state government and IAS officers. The IAS Officers’ Association hurriedly called a meeting at its office near Patna airport.However, some PMC watchers are of the view that the state government can not suspend the Commissioner as he is, in a way, working under the supervision of the Patna High Court as the latter had stayed his transfer till probe against 447
builders who violated the PMC rules are completed.The state government had even moved the Supreme Court for his transfer but more than a year ago the apex court refused to oblige it.The Patna High Court is to hear the case related to PMC on Monday (Dec 15).
Incidentally, the PMC appears to be divided over the issue. Its Mayor, Afzal Imam, welcomed the move and blamed the Commissioner for waterlogging in Patna during monsoon and Gandhi Maidan stampede of October 3.But on the other hand the deputy Mayor Roop Narayan Mehta, strongly criticized the state government’s move to suspend the Commissioner on frivolous charge to distract attention.
A section of PMC ward councillors have decided to stage protest at Kargil Chowk against this move.The builder lobby close to the ruling establishment are behind this suspension. This is not the first such move to bully the PMC officials to submission.Not only was the Commissioner transferred in the past even
his salary was withheld.
Needless to remind, the BJP was very much in the Nitish Kumar ministry when all such moves were taken against the Commissioner, so it is morally not in the position to take any tough stand on the issue.
Poltiical observers are of the view that the suspension of PMC Commissioner on the charge of not purchasing fogging machine sounds absurd as no IAS officer could be suspended for Gandhi Maidan stampede and Chhath tragedy of 2012.
Recently, when the Vigilance Investigation Bureau carried out raids against Executive Engineer, Lallan Prasad Singh, his son charged the same builder lobby as they have reportedly threatened his father of dire consequences as he carried out measuremement of some illegal structures.
The Patna High Court asked the Bureau not to arrest him in the disproportionate assets case till he file his reply.Not only that the state urban development and housing minister, Samrat Chaudhary, had last month recommended to the chief minister the dissolution of Patna Municipal Corportion.
