Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad   

MCH Commissioner, corporator trade charges

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD July 15. Is the MBT corporator, Amjadullah Khan, solely responsible for the skirmishes in the Old City in which two MCH drivers were badly injured? Yes, according to the MCH Commissioner, Chitra Ramachandran. "The people were politely representing their problems to us. But after the local corporator came things went out of hand,'' she said.

Giving a blow-by-blow account of the events, Ms. Ramachandran told presspersons that the Quli Qutb Shah Urban Development Authority was carrying out some drainage work and people were insisting on laying of a bigger diameter pipelines. The discussions were proceeding properly. But once Mr. Khan arrived on the scene trouble broke out.

``He was questioning my visit to his division without informing him. As an officer, I keep moving all over the City. Informing the corporators cannot be a pre-condition to my visits'', remarked the Commissioner.

Ms. Ramachandran, who was visibly upset by the attack on the drivers, said this was the first time that such a thing happened. Whether it was the Commissioner or the drivers, they were all Government servants and attacking them on duty was a serious matter. They had gone there to check on the sanitation and not on any personal work. "Now, it is for the people of Hyderabad to decide whether the officials should move around or not,'' Ms. Ramachandran said.

She had no problem with the people of Old City. It was only a handful of persons who were creating trouble. "And if I could come out of those narrow lanes unscathed, it was because of the help of the locals,'' said an emotional Ms. Ramachandran.

Charge denied: Mr. Amjadullah Khan, squarely held Ms. Ramachandran responsible for the unsavoury incidents. It was the blame game played by the MCH and the HMWSSB that infuriated the public. "When she showed indifference to the boy's death and said we are not responsible for it the people couldn't keep quiet,'' he said.

Mr. Khan said he had to intervene when the Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Uma Shankar, pushed away an old man who was complaining to the Commissioner about the insanitary conditions in the area.

Mr. Khan denied he had provoked the people to stone the officials' vehicles. "I have highest regard for the Commissioner and if she could go unharmed it is because of me,'' he said.

Mr. Khan also lodged a complaint with the Rein Bazar police station seeking an enquiry into the negligence of MCH and HMWSSB leading to death of a boy.

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