Ramkrishan Upadhyay
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 24
The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) is facing another crisis with its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kavita Singh levelling allegations of being bypassed in official matters and misbehaviour against board Chairman Maninder Singh. She has sought her transfer from the board.
Sources said Kavita Singh had written a two-page letter to UT Adviser Parimal Rai requesting him to relieve her from the CEO’s post.
The sources said the CEO had alleged that agenda items were not discussed with her before being brought to board meetings. Referring to the minutes of a board meeting held on September 28, she said there were six additional agenda items. Some of these were never discussed with her.
“The board had passed certain important policy decisions. Had these agenda items been discussed or routed through me, all legal as well as administrative aspects would have been examined as the CEO is the executive officer for most activities of the board. This would have helped the board take informed decisions,” she wrote.
She said that one of the board decisions was not in consonance with the Act. She said in the past too, important policy decisions had not been discussed or routed through her. She said she took up the issue with the Chairman, but to no avail. On one occasion, she was asked by the Chairman to seek her transfer from the board.
She further wrote, “To resolve the issue, I sought an audience with the Chairman on September 29 around 5 pm and informed him about the issues. However, instead of giving me a patient hearing, the Chairman started shouting and said I was accusing him of ulterior motives. I requested him to control his temper. However, he continued in the same fashion. As a public servant, I have been discharging my duties despite multiple charges. However, there can be no compromise on the dignity and respect of an individual. In view of the above incident, it will be difficult for me to continue in the capacity of the CEO of the housing board and hence it is requested that I may be relived of the charge.”
Maninder Singh and Kavita Singh could not be contacted despite repeated calls and SMSes. UT Adviser Parimal Rai was also not available for comments.