Action against senior official shakes up babus in the civic body

UNPRECEDENTED Officials of the NMMC are used to holding posts for years with no transfers

CBD BELAPUR: The suspension of assessor and collector, deputy municipal commissioner (property tax) Prakash Kulkarni for administrative irregularity, on Wednesday, by municipal commissioner Tukaram Munde, has shocked the civic administration.

The decision is being seen as a sign of things to come in the civic body where several officials have held their posts for years with no transfers happening.

Munde, immediately on take charge, spelt out his plans on how the civic administration should function.

He set out, detailing everything from dress code to style of functioning and reporting. While there was immediate effect of the instructions, not many expected him to take swift action, that too against one of the top civic officials in the city.

Kukarni’s firing on the basis that he did not conform to the standards set by Munde has stunned several in the civic administration.

Kulkarni has been heading the property tax department for the past nine years. Such strong action against him has hit hard the concept of one officer rule in various departments of the civic body.

The officers who have been holding on to their posts for years are now getting the jitters.

A civic official, who did not wish to be named, said, “The property tax department is an important source of revenue for the civic body. With LBT and cess gone, its importance has increased even further as it is now the highest revenue generating department,”

He said, “However, for the past few years, the department has been managed by a specific few officials and personnel who seem to have a stranglehold over it. Kulkarni himself has been at the helm since 2007.”

According to a civic source, “In the past three weeks, following detailed study of the department’s functioning, the commissioner reached a conclusion that there are serious irregularities in the functioning of the department.”

He added, “He found that there are problems with records of properties registered and other anomalies. It was then that the commissioner ordered the suspension on Wednesday and ordered an inquiry.” The property department charge has now been given to LBT department chief Umesh Wagh.

A CIVIL OFFICIAL, who did not wish to be named The property tax department is an important source of revenue for the civic body. With LBT and cess gone, its importance has increased even further as it is now the highest revenue generating department.