CEO has no regard for people's representatives: MP

By Our Staff Correspondent

TUMKUR, MARCH 24. The alleged assault of an IAS officer by a zilla panchayat member at Kunigal on Thursday took a curious turn with the Tumkur MP, Mr. G.S.Basavaraju, joining the issue, here on Saturday.

Mr. Basavaraju told presspersons that he was convinced that the Tumkur Zilla Panchayat's Chief Executive Officer, Mr. K.Janardhana Rao, was in the habit of disregarding the people's representatives. He said he had experienced this a couple of times. Mr. Rao had pleaded his inability when he wanted drinking water to be supplied to 30,000 devotees who attended a religious function at the Keregodi Rangapura Math recently. Mr. Rao followed only rules leaving no room for discretion on a humanitarian basis.

Mr. Basavaraju said it had come to his notice that whenever the ZP President, Ms. B.S.Dakshayini, forwarded a note to Mr. Rao, on any matter, Mr. Rao returned it with an excuse under one rule or the other. Mr. Rao never tried to accommodate the views of the elected representatives and did not seem to realise that the latter was under constant pressure from the public.

However, Mr. Basavaraju said he did not know if Mr. Hutchaiah, ZP member, had slapped the officer as alleged. He said: "Mr. Hutchaiah is my good friend. We cannot lose our patience and take the law into our hands."

Case registered

Meanwhile, the Superintendent of Police, Mr. R.Hitendra, confirmed to presspersons that Mr. Hutchaiah had lodged a complaint with police accusing Mr. Rao of having "maligned" him and "threatening him with dire consequences." A case had been registered against Mr. Rao, under Section 506. However, he said, Mr. Rao had not filed any formal complaint against Mr. Hutchaiah so far.

Supporters of Mr. Hutchaiah appealed to Government employees not to be misled by Mr. Rao and start agitating. They said it would amount to protecting "an anti-dalit officer."

Employees resumed work in Government offices today. They struck work on Friday demanding the arrest of Mr. Hutchaiah.

'I did not slap CEO'

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Section  : Southern States
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