Bengaluru: Land sharks may have won the day over the hapless citizens of Bengaluru after all. Only days after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hauled civic authorities over the coals for their negligence that saw lakes - and raw sewage - flood into people's homes, many of which had been given sanction by government babus working in tandem with real estate developers, the “demolition man" of South Bengaluru, Assistant Commissioner (South) L. C. Nagaraj, responsible for evicting a large number of encroachers and recovering huge tracts of land in this part of the city, was transferred to Raichur.
His transfer comes a day after Mr. Siddaramaiah's free hand to officials to evict encroachers on the city's lake and drains in the wake of the recent floods, followed by the Speaker, Mr. K.B. Koliwad, an outspoken critique of the rampant building of housing settlements on Storm water Drains that is at the root of the flooding, reinforcing his chief minister's message by threatening to take the encroachers to court.
On Friday, the entire exercise seemed to be mere bluster to boost the government's image as Mr. Nagaraj received his transfer orders.
His sudden transfer raised questions on whether the transfer will be conveniently dismissed as procedural as he was due for a change with others alleging that two MLAs and an IAS officer, who work with the Chief Minister, being instrumental in removing the officer, who had become a thorn in the side of land sharks in the city.
Routine transfer, claims officer
When contacted, Mr Nagaraj pointed out that since he had completed three years in his present post, he was due for a transfer. “As a government officer, I must follow the orders given. But as no official has been posted in my place yet, I will continue in my present job until I am able to hand over charge,” he said.
