Commissioner rubbishes councillors’ charges

Some BJP and JD(S) councillors staging a protest against CommissionerC.G. Betsurmath during the Mysore City Corporation council meeting on Thursday.— Photo: M.A. Sriram

MCC Commissioner C.G. Betsurmath on Thursday said he felt insulted and dishonoured by some councillors at the council meeting here by their unruly behaviour and “baseless” accusations against him and added that he would report the incident to the government.

“I could have walked out of the meeting over their behaviour but I stayed back to uphold the dignity of the council. I was astounded by their act,” he added.

Addressing a press conference here to clarify the councillors’ charges, the Commissioner said he wanted to clarify in the meeting but Mayor R. Lingappa adjourned the meeting.

“I have done nothing wrong. Never in my career has an incident like this happened. I am doing my job with uprightness,” he maintained.

He said: “I have been posted by the Chief Minister to MCC after seeing my work. If the government does not want to me here, I am willing to go wherever I am posted.”

Mr. Betsurmath also clarified that he would continue with the reforms for bringing competence in the corporation and will not get bogged down by any “pressure”.

One of the reasons for BJP councillor Nandeesh Pritam and some JD(S) and BJP councillors’ protest against him was the reforms being brought by him to tighten the administration and fix accountability on the officers, he said. This helped in bringing discipline and revenue but perhaps irked some councillors, the Commissioner opined. Rejecting the councillors’ accusations, Mr. Betsurmath said works were happening in all the wards and he was not delaying to clear work estimates and holding back officers in meetings disrupting their work.

He said he started to put a note on the files so that the officers okay the estimates after discussion and verification since he recently unearthed substandard works and works against the approved plans.

He said the government had ordered an inquiry into the alleged irregularities reported in the MCC in the last three years and therefore he suggested officers to be vigilant.

The Commissioner alleged that some councillors brought “pressure” on him for clearing bills to contractors known to them. The MCC owes Rs. 114 crore to contractors.