Residents start signature campaign to bring former Navi Mumbai civic chief back
Residents of Navi Mumbai have started a signature campaign to bring back shunted civic chief Tukaram Mundhe back on the saddle
Five days after senior IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe was suddenly shifted the post of the Navi Mumbai municipal commissioner to Pune, citizens have started a signature campaign through change.org to get him back in the driver’s seat.
The petition on change.org started by Chittaranjan Gupta, a Navi Mumbai resident, who requested chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to get him back as the Navi Mumbai civic chief and complete his tenure here. The campaign has 6,481 signatures so far.
Mundhe’s transfer came even after the chief minister had ruled it out in November, when local corporators had asked for the transfer.
An IAS officer of the 2005 batch, Mundhe is known for his no nonsense talk. His work in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), especially against illegal construction and corruption in the civic body, has won him plaudits from Navi Mumbai residents but raised the heckles of several politicians.
“We, residents of Navi Mumbai, fully support Tukaram Mundhe, commissioner, Navi Mumbai, who is trying his best to say ‘NO’ to illegal activities and make Navi Mumbai the best city in India,” says the petition.
“Corrupt politicians in Navi Mumbai have joined hands against him for his transfer. We are indeed grateful to our CM for posting him in Navi Mumbai. CM Sir, please allow him to complete his tenure of three years instead of transferring him. He is an asset for you,” the petition says further.
Civic corporators had filed a no confidence motion against Mundhe, last year, saying that Mundhe had disrespected them and acted arbitrarily.
However, citizens had backed him as Fadnavis refused to buckle under pressure. the CM had overturned the motion passed by the corporators’ body against Mundhe by using special powers under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act. He had also said that Mumdhe was an efficient officer and Navi Mumbai needed him.
Three months later, the chief minister signed his transfer orders, allegedly after a Sena delegation complained about Mundhe once again.
Mundhe is posted as the chairman and managing director of Pune Mahanagar Parivaran Mahamandal, which looks after public transport services of the Pune metropolitan region.
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