Chief engg in F’bad MC yet to be given charge, work hit

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, August 20

The controversy that erupted recently over the post of Chief Engineer (CE) in Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF) has failed to die down even after two weeks.

This has resulted in the post remaining vacant in the largest civic body of the state, causing administrative hurdles, it is learnt.

Raman Sharma, who had been holding this position till August 10, has been shifted to Chandigarh after his promotion as CE.

Sharma, who had been Superintending Engineer (SE) till August 9, had been holding this position on officiating basis since the transfer of DR Bhaskar to Karnal a couple of months ago.

However, Bhaskar, who did not join the new posting (CE at Karnal) after getting a stay from the High Court against his transfer, reported back here on August 7, resulting in a tussle.

The state government, which did not issue any order to allow Bhaskar to retain the CE’s post, promoted Sharma as CE, but posted him at the headquarters as it did not want to violate the court order, it is learnt.

This has left the CE’s post at Faridabad vacant and no work has been discharged officially for past several days, it is claimed.

“This has resulted in administrative problems as a large number of files need the sanction or approval of the CE on a routine basis,” revealed sources in the civic body.

“The authorities will have to look to alternatives to clear the files requiring technical sanction in such a situation,” said a former official of the MCF.

Stating that while Bhaskar continues to be CE technically, Anand Mohan Sharan, Principal Secretary, Local Bodies, Haryana, said that Bhaskar was still to get official sanction to discharge the duty. “The matter is likely to be resolved soon as the state government has sought vacation on the stay order,” he added.