Row over new CVO in SDMC

NEW DELHI: The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) may have erred in following proper procedure while appointing Mangesh Kashyap as its chief vigilance officer

NEW DELHI: The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) may have erred in following proper procedure while appointing Mangesh Kashyap as its chief vigilance officer (CVO) on the Centre’s recommendation, sources in the civic body said.

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A source said Kashyap’s appointment was not approved by the appointment and promotion committee of the civic body, a mandatory procedure.

Ashish Sood, member, standing committee, SDMC, defended the decision: “Kashyap was appointed by the Centre and the CVC approved the same. Since the position was vacant, Kashyap was appointed through an anticipatory approval,” he said.

But SDMC leader of the opposition, FarhadSuri, countered,“The officerchosenbytheMHAdoesnot have clearance from the appointment committee or the SDMC House. The SDMC has given an anticipatory approval from the appointment committee chairperson, for which there is no such provision in the Delhi Municipal CorporationAct, wherebymaking the appointment illegal.”

In absence of a CVO, the SDMC had sought applications for the post. According to officials, the corporation received 14 applications but only Kashyap was found to be fulfilling all requirements.

The Delhi government had also recommended BR Meena (a UP cadre IPS officer) for the same post. But the CVC recommended Kashyap’s name.

Rejecting the AAP government’s choice, a senior leader of the SDMC said the prerogative to appoint a CVO was with the Centre. “The officer named by the Delhi government does not have CVC clearance,” said the leader.

InacommunicationonJune7to the Delhi chief secretary, the lieutenant-governor, thecommissioner of policeandOSDCentralVigilance Commission, the MHA ordered the appointment of Kashyap for three years. The letter asked the commissioner of police to relieve Kashyap for the new role. But in another communication on June 22, theDelhigovernmentappointed Meena as the CVO in SDMC.