MCD officials threaten strike over DC transfer
NEW DELHI: A group of municipal engineers on Friday threatened to go on strike if the South Delhi Municipal Corporation fails to give in to their demand of revoking the transfer of Najafgarh zone deputy commissioner Vishwendra Singh within the next three days.
The announcement for the strike comes a day after the forum of MCD engineers filed a complaint with zone commissioner Puneet Goel against Najafgarh ward committee chairperson and BJP councillor from Sagarpur West Mukesh Suryan for preventing them from carrying out demolition and sealing drives in his ward. In their complaint, they sought for immediate action in the matter since the sealing drive is being carried out on the directions of a Special Task Force, formed in compliance with the Supreme Court’s order.
A copy of complaint was also forwarded to STF’S head and DDA’S chairman Udai Pratap Singh on Thursday.
AP Khan, general secretary of the forum, said, “The chairman has been warning us with dire consequences, such as immediate transfer order, if we even try to visit his ward for sealing drive. He even gave the example of the deputy commissioner, who, according to Suryan, was transferred on Wednesday for making similar mistakes.”
Denying the allegations, Suryan said, “I have no right to transfer any officer. It is an administrative decision. Also, I never misbehaved with any official. In fact, I supported their anti-encroachment drive. In the last few days, six buildings were demolished in my ward.”
He added, “I just raised questions over the ‘pick-and-choose policy’ of the officials since they are not carrying out such intensive anti-encroachment drives in the neighbouring Dwarka and Bijwasan wards. In fact, I sought an action taken report but they failed to reply.”
Meanwhile, an SDMC official said, “If the deputy commissioner of a zone can be transferred within hours on the recommendation of a ward committee chairman (as claimed by him), then we stand nowhere. In fact, these kind of incidents demoralise officials who are already facing challenges in demolishing illegal structures. We demand that the DC’S transfer order be revoked immediately.”
A senior MCD official privy to the matter, however, said that it was a routine transfer and no tussle took place between officials and councillor.