The Hindu 21.05.2010
Stay put in your seats, BBMP ward officials told
M.T. Shiva Kumar
Head office flooded with complaints of stalled work
Staff can visit head office only after getting permission
Bangalore: People greeted by empty chairs during working hours in the zonal and ward offices of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) can hope for some relief.
Order
The BBMP top brass has ordered officials not leave their workplaces without prior permission.
Additional Commissioner of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (Administration) A.M. Kunnjappa recently issued an order instructing officials of eight zones and 198 ward offices of BBMP to be available to the public during working hours.
Frequent visits
“It was noticed that some officials from the zonal and ward offices of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike have been unnecessarily and frequently visiting BBMP head office,” Mr. Kunnjappa told The Hindu.
Aggrieved public
They hang around at the head office, neglecting work in their own offices.
The result that the head office has been flooded with complaints from an aggrieved public who find their work stalled, thanks to this form of absenteeism. Mr. Kunnjappa said: “All powers have been delegated to zonal and ward officials and they should attend to their work.
Powers
They are empowered to call tenders and can spend up to Rs. 50 lakh for development work. Unfortunately, some officials still frequent the head office.”
Action
He claimed that after the directive, most officials had stopped their “unnecessary” visits to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, adding that officials will face action if they neglected the public’s work.
Breach
Rules stipulate that before setting forth to the head office, officials should obtain permission from the Disbursement Officer or from their superiors. However, the rule is more observed in the breach, a Congress councillor pointed out.
