<p>The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Tuesday submitted to the Lokayukta that it would not transfer Assistant Commissioner (Advertisement) K Mathai.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The BBMP council had moved a resolution recently to transfer Mathai, a KAS officer who has been going tough on the advertisement hoarding mafia in the City. <br /><br />Sources said the complaint filed by Mathai with the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF), that a circular was forged to favour the advertisement hoarding mafia, triggered the move to shunt him out of the BBMP.<br /><br />Incidentally, Mathai was transferred six times between July and September 2014, before he was posted to the BBMP.<br /><br />A former IAF officer, Mathai was targeted by the sand mining mafia during his stint as Tahashildar in Hassan. <br /><br />Miscreants torched his residence to deter him from taking stringent action. <br />Subsequently, he was transferred as commissioner, Mandya Urban Development Authority (MUDA), in October 2013. <br /><br />Mathai submitted four reports regarding large-scale illegalities amounting to Rs 300 crore in allotment of sites by the MUDA. <br /><br />Based on a detailed 678-page fourth report, the State government handed over the case to the CBI in 2014. <br /><br />Mathai’s good work was appreciated in the form of back-to-back transfers. <br />He was shifted to Hoovina Hadagali in the Ballari district, even as the CBI probe had just begun. <br /><br />Mathai could not take charge in Hoovina Hadagali as the post was not vacant. <br />When this was brought to the notice of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), he was then transferred to Bidar. <br /><br />Then, the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls was announced, and Mathai could not take charge there either. <br /><br />After the polls, he was transferred to Mysuru as special land acquisition officer, and within one week this order was changed and Mathai was posted as project director, DUDC, Madikeri. <br /><br />The DPAR had issued show-cause notice to Mathai for not assuming charge in all these postings and has not paid him salary for four months. <br />DPAR sources said since Mathai did not take charge, it has been considered as unauthorised absence. <br /><br />Mathai has filed a complaint with the Lokayukta on the withholding of salary and harassment by the DPAR.<br /><br />Saidatta, the complainant in the illegal advertisement case before the Lokayukta, had filed a complaint before the Upalokayukta on the move to transfer Mathai from the BBMP. <br />Upalokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi had sent a notice to the BBMP to clarify the grounds to transfer Mathai. <br /><br />“A legal cell officer from the BBMP conveyed the message of the BBMP commissioner that Mathai would not be transferred. It is not proper to disturb an officer in-charge of advertisement section when investigation by the Lokayukta police into the illegal <br />hoardings is underway,” said Justice Adi.<br /></p>
<p>The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Tuesday submitted to the Lokayukta that it would not transfer Assistant Commissioner (Advertisement) K Mathai.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The BBMP council had moved a resolution recently to transfer Mathai, a KAS officer who has been going tough on the advertisement hoarding mafia in the City. <br /><br />Sources said the complaint filed by Mathai with the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF), that a circular was forged to favour the advertisement hoarding mafia, triggered the move to shunt him out of the BBMP.<br /><br />Incidentally, Mathai was transferred six times between July and September 2014, before he was posted to the BBMP.<br /><br />A former IAF officer, Mathai was targeted by the sand mining mafia during his stint as Tahashildar in Hassan. <br /><br />Miscreants torched his residence to deter him from taking stringent action. <br />Subsequently, he was transferred as commissioner, Mandya Urban Development Authority (MUDA), in October 2013. <br /><br />Mathai submitted four reports regarding large-scale illegalities amounting to Rs 300 crore in allotment of sites by the MUDA. <br /><br />Based on a detailed 678-page fourth report, the State government handed over the case to the CBI in 2014. <br /><br />Mathai’s good work was appreciated in the form of back-to-back transfers. <br />He was shifted to Hoovina Hadagali in the Ballari district, even as the CBI probe had just begun. <br /><br />Mathai could not take charge in Hoovina Hadagali as the post was not vacant. <br />When this was brought to the notice of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), he was then transferred to Bidar. <br /><br />Then, the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls was announced, and Mathai could not take charge there either. <br /><br />After the polls, he was transferred to Mysuru as special land acquisition officer, and within one week this order was changed and Mathai was posted as project director, DUDC, Madikeri. <br /><br />The DPAR had issued show-cause notice to Mathai for not assuming charge in all these postings and has not paid him salary for four months. <br />DPAR sources said since Mathai did not take charge, it has been considered as unauthorised absence. <br /><br />Mathai has filed a complaint with the Lokayukta on the withholding of salary and harassment by the DPAR.<br /><br />Saidatta, the complainant in the illegal advertisement case before the Lokayukta, had filed a complaint before the Upalokayukta on the move to transfer Mathai from the BBMP. <br />Upalokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi had sent a notice to the BBMP to clarify the grounds to transfer Mathai. <br /><br />“A legal cell officer from the BBMP conveyed the message of the BBMP commissioner that Mathai would not be transferred. It is not proper to disturb an officer in-charge of advertisement section when investigation by the Lokayukta police into the illegal <br />hoardings is underway,” said Justice Adi.<br /></p>