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Alleging corruption, Srinagar mayor, corporators demand removal of officer
Denying the allegations, MC’s joint commissioner planning Ghulam Hassan Mir said he will file a defamation suit against Mattu
Demanding removal of the joint commissioner planning for corruption, the Srinagar municipal corporation (SMC) mayor and corporators staged a protest and launched an indefinite hunger strike here on Thursday.
Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu alleged that the MC’s joint commissioner planning Ghulam Hassan Mir, who is also the head of the task force against illegal constructions and deals with building permissions, was involved in corruption.
“The indefinite hunger strike by 61 elected representatives of Srinagar should serve as an eye-opener. An inefficient and corrupt joint commissioner planning is patronising illegal constructions and is defaming the MC,” Mattu said.
Mattu, who is also an Apni Party leader, had written to the government on Saturday seeking removal of Mir and his repatriation to his parent department housing and urban development department (HUDD).
“Ordinary citizens are being harassed as they are not getting permissions. This has been going on for over a year,” Mattu said.
“Many illegal constructions are mushrooming in Srinagar because people are not getting permissions. leaving people with no other option,” he said.
Mir threatens law suit
Denying the allegations, Mir said he will file a defamation suit against Mattu after speaking to his lawyers. “I will file a ₹5 crore defamation suit against Mattu. He can stage a protest seeking a person’s transfer but he cannot resort to character assassination,” Mir said.
“There are no political interventions in service guarantee issues such as building permissions, death and birth registrations. These are usual municipal services, which follow a defined process. The files move from level-to- level before being approved by the commissioner. We issue permissions once a person submits the fee,” he said.
