PWD engineer back in Vidhana Soudha a month after suspension as CM Yediyurappa intervenes

In an incident that shows the 'luck' of people close to power centres, the assistant executive engineer in charge of the Vidhana Soudha, who was suspended for irregularities in the maintenance of the building, has come back to his post in a month.

A M Malatesh, the AEE of the PWD Department's Vidhana Soudha subdivision, was suspended on June 25 for failure to take up maintenance works at the Vidhana Soudha, a structure with heritage value, which led to the seeping of water through the walls.

Interestingly, the proposal for the suspension also included a charge that the engineer failed to rectify the problem of water supply at the official residence Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for PWD and Social Welfare Govind M Karjol.

In the following days, the chief engineer inspected the Vidhana Soudha and found waste dumped on the roof of the building, which had clogged the drain pipes and led to the seepage.

However, on July 27, the department's secretariat issued a new order withdrawing the suspension. The order states that the chief minister has directed that the suspension order be withdrawn and Malatesh shall be restored to his place of work.

Sources said the clashes between senior engineers, rather than the quality of work, play a major role in the actions taken against personnel in the department.