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Suspended twice in 3 weeks for sending flowers to CHB bosses
Sending flowers is considered a message of goodwill, but a horticulture inspector with the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has found — to his expense — that the gesture can backfire as well, if the top brass is not on the same page. He finds himself suspended twice in less than three weeks. Here goes his thorny tale of sending flowers.
Sending flowers is considered a message of goodwill, but a horticulture inspector with the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has found — to his expense — that the gesture can backfire as well, if the top brass is not on the same page. He finds himself suspended twice in less than three weeks. Here goes his thorny tale of sending flowers.
In December, the official, Mannu Singh, sent 25 flower pots of chrysanthemum to CHB chairman Maninder Singh and 50 flower pots to CHB chief executive officer SB Deepak Kumar as well.
In both cases, the officers were not informed that he was sending the flowers.
However, his idea backfired and the chairman took offence to the unsolicited gift and asked him to report to his office, something he failed to do.
Finally, on January 7, the chairman suspended him. However, when chairman Maninder Singh , was away to Nagpur to attend a three-day e-governance workshop from January 21, the CEO Kumar who held the charge of chairman, reinstated Mannu.
Again on Monday, when the chairman returned and took charge, Mannu was promptly suspended again.
Sources in the CHB said that as per norms, the CEO was holding only ‘routine charge’ and did not have powers to reinstate any individual suspended by the chairman.
When contacted on the issue, board chairman Maninder Singh refused to comment on the issue. CEO SB Deepak Kumar did not respond to calls and SMS on his mobile phone.
Mannu Singh said, “I am busy now.”
HT has learnt that the issue of the suspension, reinstatement and suspension again would be taken up in a board meeting on January 28.
