The Hindu 24.09.2010
DCC Commissioner ‘manhandled'
Staff Correspondent
| Deputy Mayor's husband also threatened him with dire consequences |
Employees of the Davangere City Corporation resort to a snap strike
Mayor refutes that Duggesh manhandled the Commissioner
DAVANGERE: Commissioner of Davangere City Corporation Prasanna Kumar was manhandled allegedly by Duggesh, husband of Deputy Mayor Pushpa Duggesh in the Mayor's chamber on Thursday. Mr. Duggesh also allegedly threatened the Commissioner with dire consequences.
The incident took place during a special meeting convened by Mayor Vasanth Kumar to discuss sanitation issues in the city.
Protesting against the incident, all employees of the corporation resorted to a snap strike.
Protest
The employees, who held an emergency meeting in the Commissioner's chamber, strongly condemned the incident. They resolved to stage a protest in front of the corporation office on Friday and to take a delegation to the Deputy Commissioner to demand that corporation employees be provided security.
They decided to wear black badges in office till the Deputy Mayor and her husband tendered an apology to the Commissioner.
They wondered how the Mayor allowed Mr. Duggesh to attend the meeting. Thippeswamy, convener of the State civic body employees' union, said that the Mayor had committed a blunder by allowing Mr. Duggesh to attend the meeting.
‘Restrict entry'
The employees urged the Commissioner to restrict the entry of private persons to any meetings of the corporation, irrespective of their affiliation to councillors or officials.
Earlier, the Commissioner and a few other officials held a meeting with leaders of the employees' union. The officials alleged that Mr. Duggesh manhandled, threatened and addressed the Commissioner in singular during the discussion on pending bills for garbage collection.
The Commissioner appealed to the Mayor to instruct Mr. Duggesh to behave properly. However, Mr. Duggesh continued his tirade, following which the Commissioner walked out of the Mayor's chamber.
The Mayor held a separate meeting with councillors.
Refuted
Mr. Vasanth Kumar told The Hindu that Mr. Duggesh questioned the Commissioner on certain development works to which the official did not give a “satisfactory reply”. Following which there was a heated discussion and the Commissioner walked out of the chamber. He refuted that Mr. Duggesh manhandled the Commissioner.
Pending bills
Meanwhile, senior officials in the corporation said that many councillors wanted to discuss the pending bills. The Commissioner had posted the list of pending bills on the corporation website and they were being cleared on seniority. A few councillors wanted bills of certain contractors who were their relatives to be cleared on priority, and the Commissioner refused to oblige, they said, and added that this had led to Thursday's incident.
The Commissioner told The Hindu that he would consult his advocate with regard to filing a police complaint.
