After IAS Officer Resigns, K’taka Official Dismisses Harassment Charge

Mysuru city municipal corporation commissioner Shilpa Nag (right) has announced her resignation, alleging harassment by the deputy commissioner of the district Rohini Sindhuri (left)

A day after the Mysuru city municipal corporation commissioner Shilpa Nag announced her resignation, alleging harassment by the deputy commissioner of the district Rohini Sindhuri, the latter on Friday claimed she had only sought from her details of the ₹ 12 crore CSR fund utilised in the city, besides Covid infection details.

“We wanted to utilise the Corporate Social Responsibility funds for COVID management under a government programme ‘Vaidyara Nade, Halli Kade‘ (Doctors’ march towards villages). So I asked where the funds had gone. I wanted to know whether the entire ₹ 12 crore of CSR fund was spent on the city and how it was utilised,” Ms Sindhuri said on the sidelines of a function.

The deputy commissioner said the funds were required for the VNHK programme, but the details have not been shared yet. Ms Sindhuri added that she had sought Gram Panchayat and municipal ward wise details of COVID infections to ensure that Mysuru district is free from COVID by July 1.

“We need to join hands and give correct data. It cannot be right if one day you say there are 400 infections and 40 the next day. These discrepancies should not be fed to the COVID war room,” Ms Sindhuri added.

She said that she has already brought all the details to the notice of Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar.

“We have already issued a press note and we have brought the entire thing to the notice of Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar,” she said.

Sources in the government said Ravi Kumar reportedly asked Ms Nag how she conducted a press conference without bringing the matter to his notice.

Meanwhile, the government directed the Regional Commissioner of Mysuru to conduct a probe into reports about the construction of a swimming pool and a gymnasium at the Mysuru deputy commissioner’s official residence at a cost of ₹ 50 lakh.

The regional commissioner has been asked to furnish the report within a week.

As the fight between two senior IAS officers came out in the open, former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said this incident showed the “inability” of the government.

“The open quarrels between the Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru district and the Municipal Commissioner of Mysuru city have raised suspicions in the state whether the government is in existence or not,” Mr Kumaraswamy tweeted.

Commenting on the issue, the Congress state chief DK Shivakumar said: “Yatha Raja, Tatha Adhikari (As is the king, so are the officials).”