Bhopal: Shunted official back in building permission dept

Sunita Singh, who was shifted from the building permission department of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) in wake of several irregularities, has been given charge of the department again due to a staff crunch.

Singh and additional commissioner GP Malli were removed by former commissioner Tejaswi Naik after allegations emerged of building permissions not being granted on time and irregularities in the department.

After a Hindustan Times story on April 19 detailed irregularities in the department, the newly appointed BMC commissioner Chavvi Bharadwaj on Thursday declared if the permissions are not granted in a timely manner, then no officer in the department would get their salaries until the work is completed.

“I will myself review the building permissions department every week, and will check why there is such a delay. If needed be I am quite open to change the people if they are unwilling to mend their ways and work properly,” Bharadwaj told HT.

On asking why she has appointed Singh again, she said, “Sunita is trained as city planner, so she can review the technicalities better. Although I have heard about the allegations against her, we have a huge staff crunch and have to finish the work speedily; hence we require the technical help from her.”

Additional commissioner MP Singh, who was given charge of building permissions department after Malli, described his unawareness of the irregularities of building permissions department and said he had no knowledge of any orders by the commissioner.

“I am not aware how many files have been moved today or what is the current status of department . I think instead of asking me you should ask Sunita Singh,” he told HT.