Stop pressure tactics, civic body’s elected wing told

In what could he the first clear signs of friction between the elected and administrative wings of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) after the Congress regained power, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Vinay Vyasa has written to the Mayor, asking him to ensure that elected representatives do not wrongly interfere in the functioning of the corporation.

Mayor Himmatsinh Patel has also been warned that if required, if elected members of the AMC continue using pressure tactics against civic body officials. Police complaints will be filed against them. The Mayor has asked the councilors to resolve the matter in a peaceful manner.

The letter was written following an incident three days ago, when two Congress councilors entered into a heated argument with Vyasa over the issue of appointing a doctor at a Sabarmati primary health centre. In the past few weeks, there have been a few cases where councilors barged into cabins of administrative wing officials to make forceful representation Water Supply and Sewerage Committee chairman Udesinh Solanki and Hospital Committee member Vinod Patel went to Vyasa's office and demanded that Darshan

Shah he posted at die Sabarmati Primary Health Centre. According to civic body officials, the same doctor was earlier removed from duty on the behest of the same elected representatives.

After reaching Vyasa's chamber, the councilors reportedly threatened the DyMC and told him that he was bound to follow what they recommended.

Matters took a turn for the worse when the DyMC was forced to ask the councilors to leave his cabin.

Vinod Patel said he had gone to the DyMC to ask him to post Shah at the PHC as earlier appointments were made by the BJP. "Now that the Congress is in power, we can make a few changes," he said. Admitting that the argument with Vyasa had become serious, Patel said the Mayor called him and others to his office and asked them to resolve matters in a cordial manner. A fortnight ago, some 25-odd municipal councilors had barged into Vyasa’s cabin and it was only after heated arguments that matters were resolved. Even then, the DyMC had voiced his concern.

Republished from Indian Express