In 18 months, P’kula MC sees six commissioners

Amit Bathla

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, June 16

After the transfer of Rajesh Jogpal from the post of the Commissioner of the local Municipal Corporation in December 2019, the state government has given the civic body six chiefs in a span of a year and a half.

Jogpal held the position for two years and three months and was promoted to the Indian Administrative Service from the Haryana Civil Service during this period.

Sumedha Kataria succeeded Jogpal as the MC Commissioner. However, she was replaced in less than six months, before her retirement later in the year. On similar lines, Mahavir Singh was transferred within five months and RK Singh before seven months.

Mukesh Kumar Ahuja, the former DC, held the additional charge of the MC Commissioner for just 17 days, from May 19 to June 4, before being transferred to Gurugram.

Sharandeep Kaur Brar, a 2009-batch IAS officer, was appointed the MC Commissioner on June 4, but she didn’t join the office. She subsequently got transferred as the Director, Sainik and Ardh Sainik Welfare, and Director, Citizen Resources Information Department, Haryana, on June 11.

At present, Deputy Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh holds the additional charge of MC Commissioner.

The frequent transfers took place when the civic body had a major challenge before it — the management of the Covid-19 pandemic. From sanitation to disposal of biomedical waste to conducting last rites of Covid victims, civic bodies, apart from the Health Department, play a crucial role in the fight against Covid-19.

“Frequent transfers adversely affect the functioning of the Municipal Corporation as it denies bureaucrats the opportunity to settle down into an official role. If officers will keep coming and going, it will lead to instability in the working of the civic body,” said a resident.

Difficult to handle additional work?

When asked how difficult it is for an officer to handle the additional workload and justify two posts at one time, Deputy Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh, who holds the additional charge of MC chief, replied, “This is something subjective. Someone may find it easy to work with an additional charge while other may not. But yes, with additional duties, we have to work harder to execute those responsibilities. However, I come from a background where I have worked a lot more!”

Transfer prerogative of govt, says former chief

A former MC Commissioner, who wished not to be identified, said, “Transfer of any bureaucrat is a prerogative of the government. As and when the government wants, it can transfer whosoever it feels right.” The officer, however, admitted that instability and insecurity left a detrimental impact on the officer’s morale. Without naming anybody, the officer accepted the influence of “political bosses” in transfer of civil servants.

Official should not be shifted for at least one year: Gupta

Haryana Speaker and local MLA Gian Chand Gupta said in his opinion, bureaucrats should be given at least a year after being appointed to a new position to perform in a better way, barring exceptional cases like “administrative exigency” or corruption charges. “Frequent transfers hamper the working of the system,” he said.

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