BBMP engineer SV Rajesh, second from the left is seen in the picture
Gradation list bypassed in order of civic chief; promotion reportedly at behest of ‘powerful’ Karnataka Minister
BENGALURU:
Covid-19 may be running amok in Bengaluru, but the usual politicking and power-play for top posts continues in the BBMP administration. The latest instance on Wednesday is of an Executive Engineer, who is already holding the additional charge of Superintendent Engineer, being appointed in-charge Chief Engineer of the West zone. As it happens, the zone is home to four ministers in Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s cabinet. According to sources, the posting was made on the recommendation of one of the four ministers to the BBMP chief.
The engineer in question is 47-year-old SV Rajesh, who has been elevated as in-charge Chief Engineer on the orders of Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta on Wednesday.
Rajesh, who joined the service as a junior engineer in 1997, is currently serving as Executive Engineer and has been posted as Superintendent Engineer in the Road Infrastructure wing in the BBMP head officer. Despite holding the additional charge of Superintendent Engineer, he has now been given an additional responsibility as Chief Engineer, West zone, bypassing other senior engineers who are eligible for the Chief Engineer’s post.
An order issued by the administration section, which works directly under Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta, states that Rajesh has been given the additional responsibility of Chief Engineer (West) alongside his current designation as Superintendent Engineer in the Road Infrastructure department.
Incumbent shunted
The order also states that AB Doddaiah, who was holding the additional in-charge post as Chief Engineer (West), has been relieved from the post and has been moved to the technical vigilance cell in the head office, which come directly under the Chief Commissioner.
Interestingly, the West zone’s Superintendent Engineer Swayam Prabha, who belongs to the reserved category, is senior to Rajesh as per the gradation list, and will now have to work under him.
TheBengaluruLive called Rajesh to get his reaction on his posting as Chief Engineer (West), but he did not respond to our calls. A similar message was sent to Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta via WhatsApp seeking his reaction, but he did not respond.
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