Illegal SRA Deputations Flagged exec engineer’s deputation lasted 17 yrs in 22-yr career dy chief engineer got 6th extension from CM regardless clear rules.
Illegal SRA Deputations Flagged exec engineer’s deputation lasted 17 yrs in 22-yr career dy chief engineer got 6th extension from CM regardless clear rules.
Notwithstanding government regulations, several officials continue to flout rules and extend their deputation on various lucrative posts.
A case in point are brazen deputations of deputy chief engineer RB Mitkar and executive engineer Milind Vani for extended periods in the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) in total disregard to strong objections and file notings against their continuation.
Rules of the General Administration Department (GAD) in the state stipulate deputations from other departments only in exceptional circumstances and not for tenures longer than three years.
Even extensions can’t be given for tenures longer than a year. The second extension for the fifth year needs approval by the Chief Minister.
In a complaint to the Chief Secretary against the appointment of Wani, who is on perpetual deputation in the SRA from his parent water resources department, RTI activist Laxminarayan Shetty has pointed out that the assistant engineer has been in the new posting for the last 17 years in his 22-year service.
Wani, who was appointed for Ghatghar Hydropower Project (Chonde in Shahapur), has been on deputation since 2004. Wani, however, denied any illegality and insisted he was just following government orders. “It is for the government to appoint or relieve me from SRA,” he said. The notings in his parent department files, however, read, “Milind Anand Wani is pressuring the water resources department for deputation and is becoming an obstruction in office work.” The slum authority file notings of November 2018 also clearly state that “SRA does not require any services of Milid Wani in the department”, but strangely he has been continuing despite objections from both departments.
As an executive engineer with SRA, he is involved in approvals of slum rehabilitation schemes, demolition, construction and final occupation certificates.. Shetty said that Wani is “not qualified to be appointed as executive engineer in SRA” and the government should cancel his appointment and send him back to his parent department. RTI activist Santosh Dhanukar has alleged that the information received from the state public information officer last July claims the file on SRA deputy chief engineer RB Mitkar went missing from Mantralaya after it was sent for photocopy.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had filed petition last week in the Bombay High Court for cancellation of Mitkar’s extension The petition alleges that the CM was misled. Mitkar was appointed to SRA in January 2017 for two years and continued to occupy the post till July 2019 sans any government orders for extension.
His deputation was extended for another year until February 2020 when the SRA CEO Deepak Kapoor issued orders for relieving him but the then state housing minister Jitendra Awhad cancelled the orders issued. Mitkar continued to occupy the post without any extension till August 2022, though his tenure ended in January 2021. The deputy chief engineer got an extension from the CM for the sixth time in August 2022.
News Edit K.V.Raman
