IN A setback to Mayor Dr Uma Shashi Sharma the State Government yesterday shunted out P Narhari as Indore Municipal Commissioner. The IAS officer has been posted as Project Coordinator (Integrated Child Development Scheme) in the Woman and Child Development Department. His replacement has, however, not been named yet.
The transfer orders, issued late on Saturday evening, vindicated reports of Narhari’s imminent ouster that had been doing the rounds for the last fortnight. In a minor administrative shuffle, the Madhya Pradesh Government has transferred or modified charges of four IAS officers including the municipal commissioners of Bhopal and Indore.
Bhopal Municipal Commissioner Manish Singh was yesterday posted as Director (Handlooms) while his Indore counterpart P Narhari was posted as Project Coordinator (ICDS) in the Woman and Child Development Department.
Manish Singh, of the State Administrative Service, who was Joint Collector (Indore) would now be the Bhopal Municipal commissioner.
Commissioner (Archaeology) Pankaj Raag was divested of his responsibility as MD (State Textbook Corporation) and bestowed the charge of Commissioner (Culture) while Bhopal District Panchayat CEO Navneet Mohan Kothari was transferred to Dhar.
Dr Kothari’s previous responsibility would now be discharged by State Administrative Service officer Ashish Saxena who was Additional Collector (Shajapur) earlier.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Kothari’s previous responsibility would now be discharged by State Administrative Service officer Ashish Saxena who was Additional Collector (Shajapur) earlier.
{{/usCountry}}Mayor’s views
I DO not want to comment on the transfer as it is the State Government’s decision. Commissioner Narhari was an upright official who did not brook meddling with rules,
regardless of who proposed it. I believe that he should be replaced with an IAS official who is equally upright and dynamic.
Indore is going through a critical period in its development and the City needs an industrious official to steer it through the JNNURM, ADB and Bond Road schemes. I would like to make one thing clear, whoever replaces the outgoing Commissioner will have to depend on our support and assistance and cannot expect to have his own way.
Upright official
ALTHOUGH HE fell prey to the rivalry between PWD Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya and Indore MP Sumitra Mahajan, P Narhari who joined as Municipal Commissioner on January 4 is credited with pushing through much-needed administrative reforms as well as key infrastructure development schemes. Especially, the Rs 2,740 crore JNNURM funding proposal, the revised Narmada-III and Bond Road schemes.
Under Narhari, Indore achieved the distinction of becoming the first of 63 Mission beneficiary cities to formulate the approval and have it approved by the general council three days ahead of the January 15 deadline. The industrious and upright former Commissioner also helped blow the lid off the pension, social security and muster roll scams.