MC inquiries result in pending reports,inaction

The most recent in the line of inquiries conducted by the MC was that of the illegal laying of cables. In may last year,an SDE received information about an illegal road cut in Sector 33.

Subsequently the machine that was being used for the purpose was impounded. The Vigilance Department conducted a raid in Sector 34 where illegal ducts were being dug for laying of Optical Fiber Cables (OFC) without obtaining the necessary permission.

The MC house decided to conduct an inquiry into the laying of these cables,and the inquiry was entrusted to Additional Commissioner-I Sunil Bhatia,but when the report was submitted the councillors raised objections to it terming it unsatisfactory. It was then decided that the inquiry would be conducted by the vigilance officer Lalit Siwach. The inquiry report was once again brought to the house. By then a new set of councillors had been elected. They stated that there were differences in the two reports.

In 2010,the cement scam surfaced in the Municipal Corporation after a truck was caught with pilfered cement bags from an MC store in Sector 17. After an inquiry by the Chief Engineer,it was decided to chargesheet an SDE and Assistant Engineer. The services of a watchman and mason were terminated. However,w the issue finally came to the House,the councillors asked for the revokation of the termination of the services of the two.

The House recommended that the contractors be blacklisted for five years. However,after a year,when the contractors asked for permission to apply for tenders,it came to light that the blacklisting was done just for a year. The two other officials chargesheeted were acquitted by the court.

Former councillor of the Municipal Corporation,Chander Mukhi Sharma,says,“For many years,there has been no action against any official even when there have been many inquiries. The action has to be taken by the executive. But the officials bring the report to the House and after a discussion there are attempts to delay the issue. Issues have been pending for years.”

An inquiry had been initiated two years ago into the widening of a road in Sector 8 and the construction of a community centre. The report presented stated that it was due to “lack of sincere efforts by the officials” that there was delay in construction. No action was taken thereafter.

Similarly in the case of the Garbage Processing Plant,several inquiry reports were prepared. Anomalies in setting up the plant as well as the problem of stench were discussed at length in the inquiry reports.

However,three years after the inquiries,the problem of stench still remains with the Municipal Commissioner recently issuing directions that proper procedures be followed at the plant and the dumping ground to prevent the problem.

Councillor Rajesh Gupta says there is a need for the inquiries to reach some conclusion. “The same issue goes on for years with no action being taken. The officials take advantage of the differences between the councillors of various parties,which results in the decisions being delayed,” says Gupta.