MCC staff protest harassment of official by corporator

Officials and employees of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) staged a protest against Corporator (ward number 58) B M Nataraj on charges of harassing and using abusive language against a Development Officer.

The staffers staged a protest in front of the MCC main office in the city on Wednesday. The agitators, including a few civic workers, said that JD(S) Corporator Nataraj pressured and harassed Zone 9 development officer Ninga Shetty to approve road repair works before getting an official approval from MCC. The agitators said that it becomes difficult for them to work if the people’s representatives exert pressure on them to do illegal works.

The agitating employees, holding placards that read ‘respect government officials’, ‘stop goondaism’, raised slogans against Nataraj. However, the agitators called off the protest after Mayor M J Ravikumar promised to hold an enquiry and take appropriate action. The Mayor said he would convene a meeting in this regard on April 15.

According to Ninga Shetty, a contractor took up repair works of the Cauvery Main Road in Zone 9 before seeking an approval from MCC. As MCC Commissioner G Jagadeesha is deputed for bypoll duty in Nanjangud Assembly (reserved) constituency and because the model code of conduct is in force, the approval for works got delayed.

“Though I had explained to the corporator about the legal aspects, he used abusive language and mentally harassed me to approve the works,” Ninga Shetty said. Shetty has filed a case of mental harassment against the corporator.

MCC Commissioner G Jagadeesha told DH that people’s representatives should respect officials and obstructing their work is an offence. “There is no provision for issuance of new bills for old works and taking up the works without tender is not permissible,” the commissioner said. He said the issue has already been discussed with the Deputy Commissioner and will be taken up once the election duty is over.Nataraj was not available for comment.