Since August last year, the Kochi Corporation has not had a full-time secretary appointed exclusively for the post.
When an official who held the post for a few months till August, went into quarantine and was not posted back, other officials at the corporation or from the Local Self Government Department had been appointed to the post. Briefly, it was held by the Regional Joint Director, Urban Affairs. Now, the Deputy Secretary has been given additional charge of the post of secretary.
“The secretary at the corporation is supposed to be an IAS officer. But temporary postings are made for the position instead of appointing an official of that rank,” said Antony Kureethara, Opposition Leader in the corporation council.
But both the ruling and Opposition fronts are confident that a new secretary is likely to be appointed soon by the State government.
Mayor M. Anilkumar said an appointment was likely to made soon.
M.G. Aristottil, UDF councillor, said, “A posting is likely to be made soon, since there has been a change of guard at the corporation. Refusal to post a properly qualified official in that position had been a political move,” he alleged. For a civic body that receives large funds for projects like those under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, it was crucial to have an official appointed to the position full-time, he said.
