Mangaluru: This is one civic body where officials fear to tread. The interference by corporators in every work taken up by Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) is driving officials away from the coastal city.
Apart from various lower ranks, there are many important posts including that of the commissioner vacant in MCC. Activists allege that officials prefer staying away from Mangaluru city as they are unhappy with the intervention by corporators. “The post of commissioner is vacant since one month and that of revenue officer for about two years. Those of council secretary and executive engineer too are not filled. Apart from the post of assistant revenue officer, posts of two assistant executive engineers and three assistant town planning officers are all vacant. The irony is that urban development minister Vinay Kumar Sorake hails from this region,” Nagarika Hitarakshana Vedike convener Hanumanth Kamath told Deccan Chronicle.
“Officials allege that they find it difficult working in MCC as corporators intervene even in trivial issues. They want their diktat be be followed everywhere. If earlier officials were lobbying to be posted at MCC, now they are trying their best not to be posted here,” he said, adding, “the officials are unable to even transfer clerks on their own.” “Usually urban development ministers try to get more funds and staff posted to their home district. But here, vacant posts have not been filled even after Sorake took charge as minister about two years ago. The MCC is divided between the Ramanath Rai group and Vinay Kumar Sorake group,” he added.
Meanwhile sources alleged that corporators are not interested in having a permanent commissioner posted to MCC. “The in-charge commissioner easily gives in to pressure from corporators and politicians. They have seen this happen last year when the same officer acted as in-charge commissioner for about 8 months. So corporators prefer an in-charge commissioner for a few months so that they can get their work done which a regular commissioner would have questioned,” he revealed.
