PIMPRI: It seems the delay in action against few unauthorised constructions particularly built by close aides of BJP leaders has proved costly for an officer in Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). The municipal commissioner transferred Joint City Engineer Aayubkhan Pathan to the environmental engineering department. Pathan was earlier posted as in-charge of building permission and demolition of unauthorised construction cell.
According to sources, he was reportedly removed from the post following a complaint made by former Nationalist Congress Party corporator Rajendra Jagtap. Jagtap has complained that the squad under Pathan was sparing BJP members involved in building commercial property and action was being taken against common people in Pimple Gurav and Sangvi.
Following this complaint, Municipal Commissioner Shravan Hardikar sought clarification on this issue from Pathan. Hardikar had earlier launched departmental inquiry order after Pathan failed to provide satisfactory clarification on this issue. But as Pathan is retiring from his post in September 2018, he was transferred from his earlier job.
Earlier, the building permission department was responsible for granting building permissions. However, a separate cell for the demolition of unauthorised construction was formed following the high court order. Pathan who joined PCMC’s service in 1981, has served this department for 16 years. The department is being held responsible for the large scale unauthorised constructions in the city. When asked about the action, Assistant Commissioner of PCMC’s administration Mahesh Kumar Doiphode said, “This is a routine transfer for the administrative reasons.”
When asked about the complainant, Rajendra Jagtap said, “ I have noticed that the PCMC’s unauthorised construction demolition department was taking action only against common people, on the other hand, commercial properties belonging to corporators of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party were not being touched. Even when I shared the details of illegal construction of the corporators belonging to the ruling party along with the photographs, no action has been taken against them. I am going to follow up this issue with the civic body till there some action is taken against these constructions.”
