Engineer neglects complaints,to be sent back

Mayor Yogesh Behl has ordered that Deshmukh,a junior engineer in the PCMC water department,be repatriated. Municipal Commissioner Asheesh Sharma,confirming it,said he would sign the papers on Monday.

Deshmukh had allegedly refused to attend to complaints of water shortage from residents of a suburb.

Sharma said that papers regarding repatriation of Deshmukh are ready. “I will sign them tomorrow.”

He said Deshmukh was being sent back to state government service after the mayor passed the orders to the effect.

There were complaints from citizens,a local corporator and some civic officials agiainst Deshmukh’s style of functioning.

Behl said he took the action after Vinayak Ranasubhe,a coopted corporator,complained that Deshmukh was rude to him had and refused to attend to complaints from citizens about water shortage in their area.

Ranasubhe complained that when he asked Deshmukh to resolve the water shortage in Chikhali and surrounding areas,the official spoke arrogantly and point blank conveyed his helplessness,Behl said.

This,said Behl,did not behove an official handling the sensitive water department,which is flooded with complaints every day. Instead of attending to complaints promptly,the official was rude to a corporator,who was taking up citizens’ complaints and not not individual ones,the mayor said. Behl,elected four times to the PCMC,said this was a first-of-its-kind action in PCMC history.

When contacted,Ranasubhe alleged that first Deshmukh refused to take his call. Then when I went to meet him in his office and told him that residents in Chikhli and surrounding areas have not received water for two days,he told me what could he do? He was rude and showed no seriousness in at least making efforts to redress citizens’ grievances,he said.

Ranasubhe said though Deshmukh later expressed regret,he was happy with the strong action by the mayor. “Unless PCMC gets tough with officials,citizens’ problems won’t be solved,” he said.

Deshmukh,who had come to PCMC from Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran,said the mayor’s action was unilateral and principles of natural justice were not followed.

“I was not given an opportunity to present my side. The action was one-sided. I will meet the mayor on Monday and present my case,He said Deshmukh said the allegation that he was rude to the corporator was false. I am a mild-mannered person. It is not in my nature to speak arrogantly with anyone,” he said. Deshmukh has completed his three-year tunure with the PCMC,civic offiials said.