Finally,civic body gets a regular commissioner

Vivek Pratap Singh,a 1996 batch IAS officer took over as Municipal Commissioner today. His name had recently been cleared for the post by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Meanwhile,Prerna Puri who was handling the charge,has been given charge of Secretary Information Technology and Secretary House Allotment Committee (Upper).

After the former Municipal Commissioner Dr Roshan Sunkaria completed his tenure in April last year,no permanent commissioner had been appointed. The charge was given to Deputy Commissioner Brijendra Singh for a few months and later handed over to Prerna Puri. Singh came briefly to the Municipal Corporation today and met some officials of the civic body. With the meeting of the General House scheduled for Wednesday,Singh would be in the midst of action soon after taking over. The appointment is for a period of three years. This time,the civic body was without a regular commissioner for the longest period since it was created.

Prerna Puri will take over as IT Secretary and also hold the charge of Secretary House Allotment Committee (Upper). These charges were at present being held by UT Finance Secretary V K Singh. Puri has been given one year’s extension in the city. Orders for her transfer had been earlier been issued. She would be drawing salary against one of the newly created posts of secretary in the UT Administration.

Till now,the two secretary-level posts in the city were held by Punjab and Haryana cadre IAS officers. The governments of Punjab and Haryana had expressed their opposition at the suggestion that the two newly created posts of secretaries would be filled by AGMUT cadre officials. Despite the opposition,Puri who is an AGMUT cadre officer was given charge today.