Umashankar returns as Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority boss

GURUGRAM: Barely two months after he was moved to the chief minister’s office in Chandigarh, 1993 batch IAS officer V Umashankar has been brought back to the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) as its CEO. He will, however, continue as the additional principal secretary to Manohar Lal Khattar.

Umashankar’s return to the authority is significant given this is an election year and the Khattar government is counting GMDA as one of the BJP regime’s biggest accomplishments. On August 12, 2017, the state government constituted the GMDA to show its commitment to the long-term future of Gurugram.

GMDA has not made any significant decisions since Umashankar’s appointment in the CMO. Neither has there been a decision on the metro extension project to old Gurugram, nor on the formation of the residents advisory council.

The city bus service, which was launched by Umashankar, too appears to have gone off-track after he left.

Though it has brought back Umashankar, the government is yet to announce the posting of Vivek Joshi (a 1989 batch IAS officer) who had replaced then GMDA CEO in October last year. The additional CEO of GMDA, Anita Yadav, has also been transferred to Faridabad Municipal Corporation as its commissioner.

Sources, however, told TOI Joshi could be headed for a stint in the Union government. Moreover, they said Joshi could not devote much time to Gurugram given the fact that he held five other posts — including that of principal secretary, monitoring and coordination department — apart from being the GMDA boss.

GMDA insiders acknowledged that things slowed down considerably with the premature transfer of Umashankar, a move that came under a lot of criticism. “The city bus service is a classic example. The buses are practically running empty. Also the common card, on the lines of Octopus Card which can be used in the kirana shop, retail shops, supermarkets, fast-food joints, parking lots and other utilities, apart from bus and metro services, is yet to be launched,” said an official.

“The GMDA meeting, too, has not taken place in the recent past, where important city projects are likely to be discussed. In all, GMDA needed a fresh impetus, which it is likely to get now,” the official added.

Others, though, pointed out that the whole idea of forming GMDA could be lost if Umashankar would operate out of the CMO, given the main objective of the authority was to eli-minate multiplicity of authorities, relocating decision-making to Gurugram from Chandigarh, and involving citizens in the plan-ning process.

Umashankar could not be contacted for a comment.

Other officials transferred on Monday evening included Mukesh Kumar, the estate officer-1 of Huda, and the MCG joint commissioner. In all five IAS and nine HCS officers were transferred.