Bhatia seeks Mathankar suspension

PUNE, Dec 15: In an unprecedented decision, Divisional Commissioner Arun Bhatia has recommended suspension of former district collector V...

PUNE, Dec 15: In an unprecedented decision, Divisional Commissioner Arun Bhatia has recommended suspension of former district collector Vijay Mathankar, who is now holding the charge of Transport Commissioner in Mumbai, on the charge of corruption.

In a letter to Chief Secretary P Subramanyam, Bhatia has called for departmental proceedings against Mathankar. In addition, Bhatia has recommended that Mathankar be transferred out of the present post of Transport Commissioner.

In his letter, Bhatia recalled that he had sent a letter to Chief Secretary in March this year stating that Mathankar8217;s integrity was doubtful. The letter states that Mathankar might have been promoted because of lack of concrete evidence against him.

Bhatia had said the citizens and the administration had been harmed since the executive post like Transport Commissioner had fallen in the hands of a corrupt official.

The letter states: 8220;In 1997, Mathankar allotted a residential plot to Belote, a desk officer in Mantralaya, even though he was not eligible to get it as a project-affected person. Belote had not lost any residential plot or house for the construction of any dam or canal.8221;

8220;Belote was alloted a residential plot at village Baglohare near Narayangaon, which had the excellent non-agriculture potential and would be be worth more than Rs three lakh.8221; Bhatia had accused Mathankar of passing the illegal order inspite of the fact that the eligibility criteria was clearly stated in the office noting.

The Divisional Commissioner had also sent a letter to secretary of Revenue Department detailing how Mathankar had allotted a residential plot to Belote by violating various government resolutions. The letter had also suggested that departmental proceedings should be initiated against district colleector and district rehabilitation officer for allotting Belote a residential plot even though he was not project-affected. The letter had said Belote, in November 1994, had requested a residential plot in Junnar and not for a plot in rehabilitated gaothan. The rehabilitation section of the revenue department had recommended that the plot be allotted after completing all the legal process. The district collector on September 17, 1997, wrote a remark on the concerned file as to why Belote could not be allotted a plot in rehabilitated gaothan. Subsequently, Belote submitted a fresh application on October 10, 1997 requesting a plot in rehabilitated gaothan in Baglohare village. The district rehabilitation officershowed the green signal to Belote8217;s application while it was further sanctioned by Mathankar.