BBMP engineer SV Rajesh, second from the left is seen in the picture
CM reportedly takes UDD to task on the over-reach by Gaurav Gupta, following which the latter withdraws his order vis-à-vis Rajesh. However, Gupta’s other appointments are also ultra vires
BENGALURU:
In what can be seen as a slap on the face of the BBMP Chief Commissioner, 1990 batch IAS officer Gaurav Gupta, within two days of his elevating Executive Engineer SV Rajesh as Chief Engineer (West) he has had to revoke the same.
Gupta’s withdrawal of his own order is a fall-out of TheBengaluruLive‘s story published on May 21 titled BBMP ‘double’ promotions: Has Urban Development Department lost control of Bengaluru administration? https://thebengalurulive.com/bbmp-double-promotions-has-urban-development-department-lost-control-of-bengaluru-administration/. We had highlighted in the story how the state’s Urban Development Department was sleeping over the blatant violation of the Cadre and Recruitment rules and how Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s ‘favourite’ Chief Commissioner had made internal appointments beyond his authority.
Sources in the CM’s office said the Chief Minister has expressed his anger over the appointments made by Gaurav Gupta without bringing these to his notice and also treading on the domain of the UDD.
ACS faces CM’s anger
Rakesh Singh, ACS, UDD, had to face the wrath of the CM while attending a meeting on Friday afternoon at the CM’s Office. An embarrassed Singh, who is also currently BBMP Administrator, reportedly called the BBMP chief and directed him to withdraw Rajesh’s appointment order as Chief Engineer immediately.
In fact, TheBengaluruLive was expecting that the UDD would send a ‘stinker’ to Gaurav Gupta, the way it had done when former Commissioner BH Anil Kumar exceeded his authority in the Chief Engineer BS Prahallad case.
Following Singh’s oral instructions, Gupta tried to find a face-saving way out of the situation and held discussions with the administrative section. But with TheBengaluruLive story stressing the overstepping of his authority and the misuse of the new BBMP Act, he had no option but to withdraw his over-reaching order in the case of SV Rajesh.
Thus, just eight hours after our story broke on Friday morning, BBMP’s Deputy Commissioner (Admin) Linga Murthy, on the instructions of Gaurav Gupta, at 6 pm issued an order withdrawing Rajesh’s appointment.
The translated Kannada order reads: “SV Rajesh, holding additional charge of Superintendent Engineer (Road Infrastructure) was appointed on additional charge of Chief Engineer (West) and the said appointment has been withdrawn with immediate effect.”
The order further says that AB Doddaiah, holding the additional charge of Chief Engineer (TVCC and MpED), has been continued in his previous appointment as CE (West).
More infractions
TheBengaluruLive in its story had highlighted how Cadre and Recruitment rules were flouted and Sidde Gowda was elevated to the post of Engineer-in-Chief (he retires by this month-end), S Prabhakar to CE, East, AB Doddaiah to CE, West (two days ago, Gaurav Gupta removed him from the post and made him CE, TVCC), N Vijay Kumar to CE, Dasarahalli and P Rajeev to CE, South. All these orders of the Chief Commissioner exceeded his authority, whereas they had to made through the ACS, UDD.
Though Rajesh’s appointment order now stands withdrawn, Doddaiah’s appointment to the CE post is again a violation of the C&R rules.
Moreover, even the appointments of N Ramesh as CE (OFC) and M Lokesh as CE (Projects-Central) are under a cloud as they needed to be made only after approval by the ACS, UDD.
Read Here: Seniority sidelined as BBMP Executive Engineer is elevated as Chief Engineer (West) https://thebengalurulive.com/seniority-sidelined-as-bbmp-executive-engineer-is-elevated-as-chief-engineer-west/
About the Author
