New municipal chief vows to solve water woes

NEWLY APPOINTED municipal commissioner Shivakant Ojha admitted that the menace of water logging and contamination of drinking water had assumed serious proportions in the city in the last few years. Announcing his priority after joining the office, Ojha said he would stress solving the problems of water logging and improve the drinking water supply system.

Talking to mediapersons, Ojha said he would develop a new work culture in the municipal corporation through hard work and output. He sounded an alarm to warn officials against laxity. Responding to a question, he said he would streamline street lighting and the drinking water system.

Ojha, who was deputy municipal commissioner at Meerut is a PCS officer of 1978 batch and was chief development officer Badayun and in Ghaziabad. Resident of Jaunpur district of eastern UP, Ojha said Gorakhpur was not new to him though it was his first charge as an officer here. Municipal commissioner Anand Vardhan Pathak was transferred recently from the municipal commissioner’s post.

Since the transfer of municipal commissioner Ajay Shanker Pandey on June 20, 2005, the municipal corporation had been waiting for a full-time head. After the transfer of Pandey CDO AK Mishra took the extra charge of municipal commissioner. Later, ADM Pradeep Agrawal was given the charge of municipal commissioner after the transfer of Mishra. Last month Anand Vardhan Pathak joined as municipal commissioner but within 40 days he was transferred and the post was lying vacant.

At a time when municipal corporation election is round the corner, a full-fledged municipal commissioner was needed and sources said that Shivakant Ojha was sent here particularly with the election in view.