The official in Municipal Corporation of Dehradun blamed by many for the deteriorating level of sanitation in the city, has been transferred by the State administration. Mukhya Nagar Adhikari at MCD, Ashok Kumar, has been transferred to the post of additional secretary, Secretariat Administration.
Joint secretary, Personnel, Atar Singh informed that Dehradun district magistrate BVRC Purushottam will handle the additional charge of the MNA. In addition to this, the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority secretary and OSD, Information Directorate, Bansidhar Tiwari has been relieved of his charge in the directorate and handed the additional charge of additional MNA at the MCD.
It will be recalled that due to the protracted differences between Kumar and the Doon Valley Waste Management company, responsible for collection and disposal of garbage in the city, the administration had recently withdrawn powers from the MNA regarding execution of the JNNURM funded solid waste management project.
The powers had been handed over to the then AMNA who was transferred. In the past year, the DVWM has stopped its work on at least two occasions citing the lack of ‘cooperation’ by the MCD administration and unpaid dues.
The company has presently discontinued the door to door collection of garbage due to unpaid dues. After assuming the additional charge of MNA, the DM BVRC Purushottam said that efforts will be made to resolve the problem and regularise garbage collection work in a few days.
Kumar’s tenure as the MNA was marked by repeated difference of opinion with other officials, councillors and company officials. The councillors often accused him of being apathetic to the issues raised by public representatives. It now remains to be seen whether his transfer out of MCD will help improve the sanitation level of the State capital and functioning of the corporation in different spheres.