VMC cracks whip on officers accused of irregularities

Vadodara: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) issued chargesheets and notices to 15 serving officers including those at senior level and is looking to take action against three former officials in connection with a series of irregularities that came to light regarding development works.
The irregularities had come to light for works pertaining to works of the water, road and garden departments.
While several irregularities were exposed in connection with VMC works over the years and inquiries were ordered, there was little action after that. The civic body had come under criticism from several quarters for not taking action on officials named in the inquiries.
The civic body on Friday issued chargesheets to three officials regarding irregularities in the 24X7 water supply scheme and slapped notices to five others. The scheme had been mired in a controversy after it came to light that around 50,000 water meters were procured for the scheme, but only around 3,000 have been installed. The project was taken up under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) over five years back and the meters have been gathering dust since then.
VMC had also ordered an inquiry regarding the shoddy work done for resurfacing of roads in the city. While the preliminary inquiry had hinted an involvement of VMC engineers who were issued chargesheets and an offence was also registered in this regard, the VMC was waiting for police investigations to take further action. The civic body on Friday decided to begin a departmental inquiry against the seven officials accused of irregularities.
The removal of a maze for children as well as the Japanese garden from the Kamatibaug to make an aviary there has also come under a scanner. The maze and the Japanese garden were new additions to the garden, but were removed soon after they came up. Two officials will be issued chargesheets regarding the decision.
The officials who find themselves in a tight spot after the notices and chargehsheets include senior officials like in-charge additional city engineers Shailesh Mistry and Dhiren Talpada. Executive engineers Amrut Makwana, Rajendra Vasava and Pramod Vasava as well as a series of other officials also find themselves in the dock.
Three former officials against whom VMC is looking to take action include former deputy executive engineers Vaishal Brahmbhatt and Devji Sorathia as well as former additional assistant engineer Dilesh Gandhi.