The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said the ruling Congress and the Mayor would have to answer the people why there was a stalemate in the posting of the Commissioner of the Mangalore City Corporation.
Premananda Shetty, Leader of the Opposition in the council, alleged that internal differences in the Congress had resulted in the stalemate, which had been continuing for more than a week.
Mayor Mahabala Marla was giving evasive answers on the issue, he alleged. He said the commissioner’s office had informed him that H. Prasanna, a Karnataka Administrative Service officer, who took charge on July 16, had gone on leave for the second time for four days from July 23.
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The official did not attend the office in the afternoon after taking charge, and went on leave from July 17 to July 20. According to official sources, Mr. Prasanna was on official duty at Bangalore for two days from July 21.
Mr. Shetty said the civic body did not have a commissioner for 11 days because the official extended his leave till July 26
Mr. Shetty said no name plate had been displayed outside the commissioner’s chamber.
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He alleged that a group in the Congress had succeeded in transferring Ajith Kumar Hegde, former commissioner, in March.
But Mr. Hegde got the orders stayed though legal measures and later withdrew his petition before a legal authority. Since then he was not able to work peacefully.
The Congress should explain why there was an immediate need to transfer the commissioner when the city was facing diseases like dengue, malaria and damaged roads, he said.
The former MLA K. Jayarama Shetty alleged that there were three groups in the Congress in the district. One was led by J.R. Lobo, Mangalore City South MLA, another by Mangalore MLA and Minister for Health and Family Welfare U.T. Khader and the third one by Bantwal MLA and Minister for Forests, Environment and Ecology B. Ramanath Rai, he alleged.