Ulhas gets its 15th civic commissioner, Chandrashekhar out

December 1: Local politics has scalped the 14th municipal commissioner of Ulhasnagar in two years, with Thane commissioner T S Chandrashe...

December 1: Local politics has scalped the 14th municipal commissioner of Ulhasnagar in two years, with Thane commissioner T S Chandrashekhar, who was given additional charge of the township in July being asked to relinquish the responsibility on Tuesday. According to an order issued by the state Urban Development Department and signed by the chief minister, Chandrashekhar has been asked to step down with immediate effect. The state government has appointed the assistant collector of Nanded, Rupendra Singh, in his place.

The change of guard at the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) has, however, been met with immediate disapproval, with more than 15,000 autorickshaws and 500 six-seaters going on a flash strike today. Residents, confused at the carousel of commissioners since 1997, are also dismayed. The road-widening drive initiated by Chandrashekhar in Ulhasnagar, on the lines of the one in Thane city, had brought immense relief to the blighted township where the powerful builder lobby along with local politicians have ravaged the city-scape.

The drive, launched in Ulhasnagar five months ago, had already flattened 3,000 residential and commercial structures along a four-km stretch, with another 3,000 standing in the bulldozer’s way. Among the structures lined up for demolition was an apparel shop belonging to Mayor Hardas Makhija at Nehru Chowk, which sources say, allegedly provoked the change of guard in the corporation. With the Congress-led coalition taking over the reins of the state, the time was ripe for a change at the helm of the corporation led by the Congress-RPI-UPP alliance.

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Makhija, however, says he is shocked at the allegation and charged the Shiv Sena-BJP combine with spreading canards. “It is a reflection of their (Sena-BJP) political bankruptcy,” he told Express Newsline. However, it is no secret that the Ulhasnagar Congress unit was extremely uncomfortable with Chandrashekar at the helm as he is perceived to have the support of the Sena. Last year, a no-confidence motion passed by the corporation against him during the proposed demolition of farmhouses at Yeoor was stayed by the state government, then led by the Sena-BJP alliance.

Chandrashekhar hemself is not in Mumbai and could not be reached for comment.