Nagpur News: The dubious episode of signatures put up by the unauthorized contract IT Office Pravin Deshmukh in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) over RTI queries in NMC has been witnessing twists and turns, albeit, murkier. The episode is also exposing the chaotic state of affairs in the NMC.
It may be recalled, an RTI activist Rajendra Bhende had sought information regarding the approval given to every department’s computer software created in accordance with the department’s requirements. However, to the bewilderment of Bhende, the contract Information Technology Officer Pravin Deshmukh had put his signatures on the reply documents in place of Estate Officer D D Jambhulkar. The reply and the documents, pertaining to an RTI query, were utterly short of information the RTI activist had sought.
However, the RTI activist Rajendra Bhende, taking the issue to top level, informed the Additional Commissioner Hemant Pawar that the contract IT Officer Pravin Deshmukh signed the documents in place of Estate Officer D D Jambhulkar.
The outraged Additional Commissioner Hemant Pawar had given a dressing down to Appeal Officer and City Engineer Gaikwad for this illegal act. Pawar had directed Gaikwad to either issue show cause notice to Jambhulkar for the grave lapse or he himself would issue show cause notice to Gaikwad.
Now, in the latest twist and turn, the Appeal Officer Gaikwad, leave alone issuing show cause notice to Estate Officer Jambhulkar, apprised him of Pawar’s directive and asked him to work out damage control exercise. In the dramatic turn of events, Jambhulkar himself put his signatures hurriedly on the documents sought by Bhende, and also sent the papers to Bhende’s house under Home Delivery Service.
All these activities resorted by the NMC officials, appropriately point out that the Additional Commissioner Hemant Pawar’s orders and directives hold no waters and also point out poor state of affairs in the NMC. The fact that officers like Gaikwad and Jambhulkar have been stuck to their chairs for years together and nobody is daring to transfer them, is enough proof of chaos and red-tapism in the NMC.
The RTI activist Bhende, after finding the reply and the documents terribly short of information, approached the Appealing Authority City Engineer S S Gaikwad and filed his appeal on August 31. Gaikwad has called Bhende on September 17 at 11.00 am for hearing purpose.
Related News: Two top NMC bosses feel heat over signatures put by unauthorized IT Officer
NMC’s contract IT Officer jumps his powers, signs off documents despite no authority
