The prolonged bickering between Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) chairman Maninder Singh and chief executive officer (CEO) SB Deepak Kumar has turned into a game of one-upmanship with the governing body backing the former.
Kumar had accused the board chairman of ignoring him in the decision-making process and had also expressed his displeasure in the way the board meetings were held. However, the governing body, at its meeting held on Wednesday, resolved that the CEO was making a mockery of the system. The board members said Kumar and secretary Danish Ashraf have additional charges due to which public was being harassed.
The court cases against the CHB have also shot up, the board members said, adding that officials having additional charge should not be posted in the CHB.
The meeting was presided by CHB chairman Maninder Singh and attended by Navjot Kaur, joint secretary (Estates), UT administration, Kapil Setia, chief architect, UT, chief engineer of UT SK Chadha and members Prem Kaushik, Tarsem Chand Garg and Raghuvir Lal Arora.
The chairman apprised the governing body about the note written by the CEO to the chief accounts officer saying that the tatkal scheme, approved by board members on September 2, is not as per rules and if implemented, will complicate the issue as notice is being issued after the transfer of the property.
{{/usCountry}}The chairman apprised the governing body about the note written by the CEO to the chief accounts officer saying that the tatkal scheme, approved by board members on September 2, is not as per rules and if implemented, will complicate the issue as notice is being issued after the transfer of the property.
{{/usCountry}}The CEO also directed the chief accounts officer not to entertain any such cases pertaining to the tatkal scheme without putting up the files to the CEO. “Further, it is seen that you have submitted a communication directly to the chairman in this regard, which is again against the extant official rules. Such indiscipline will not be tolerated and action will be initiated against you (CAO) in future,” the CEO stated.
The governing body members strongly objected to the CEO note and said that the scheme was approved by the members on September 2 after detailed deliberations.
The CEO did not attend the meeting. They said the CEO should have attended the meeting and pointed out the objections. If the CEO doesn’t allow the transfers under the scheme within five days, he should be censured, said the governing body members.
On the dissent note of the CEO and the secretary, the chairman apprised the governing body that Kumar failed to attend the meeting without seeking any leave of absence. The board members unanimously resolved that writing such note was creating a hurdle in working of the board and made the mockery of the system. Whatever decisions have been taken in the board meeting should be implemented in letter and spirit, they added.
Meanwhile, both the chairman and the CEO refused to comment.
On Wednesday, HT reported how the CEO had opened a front against the board chairman for allegedly ignoring him in taking major decisions.
The CEO also shot off a letter to the UT adviser alleging irregularities in the way the board meetings were conducted. The CEO alleged that the work environment was not conducive and teamwork was lacking in the CHB.