Rokade suspended from civic service

Three days after being arrested for taking bribe, deputy municipal commissioner Chandrashekhar Rokade was suspended from civic service.

Three days after being arrested for taking bribe, deputy municipal commissioner Chandrashekhar Rokade was suspended from civic service.

HT Image

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested Rokade on for accepting Rs1 lakh bribe from a contractor at his Byculla office on Friday evening. "As per civic rules, if an employee stays for over 48 hours in police custody, he is eligible for suspension," said Mohan Adtani, additional municipal commissioner. The suspension order was passed on the basis of the ACB report, which was submitted to the BMC on Monday.

Rokade's suspension will be with retrospective effect from September 9 — the day he was arrested. "The civic body has initiated an inquiry against him and the report will be submitted within the next six months," added Adtani. Rajiv Jalota, additional municipal commissioner, will conduct the inquiry.

From Wednesday, Vijay Balamwar, a newly-promoted deputy municipal commissioner will take over the encroachment removal department in Rokade's absence.

Balmawar joined civic service in March 2000 as assistant municipal commissioner and is know to be a strict and upright officer. He has worked in various wards, including south Mumbai's A ward, and also handled the information and technology department as deputy director. In 2006, he demolished four unauthorised sheds adjoining to most controversial Sara Sahara shopping center.

The civic body has reshuffled two other deputy municipal commissioners Milin Sawant and Vasant Prabhu and seven assistant municipal commissioners as routine transfer. Sawant will be in charge of the estate department while Prabhu has been transferred to Zone I.