Lobbies in ADA work at cross purposes

ALLAHABAD: Why is that the ADA employees called off the strike even as none of their demands during the JE murder case were conceeded. Why are several JEs loaded with work (read lucrative responsibilities) whereas a vast majority sit idle the whole day. Why has the work of allotment of several housing schemes entrusted upon a clerk of the accounts department.
The answer to these and many more questions lies in the fact that the power centres in the ADA do not see eye to eye.The JE’s murder gave on such lobby the chance to turn the heat on the opponents - the secretary and joint secretary, blaming them for the murder. The lobby is bent on establishing that all corruption is the handiwork of the two officials.
“Had the officials not gone to check the site in the first place, the incident would not have occurred,� said some members of the anti-lobby.
However, ADA secretary OP Verma and joint secretary Janardan Barnwal dismised the idea as a “ridiculous analogy.� Both of them are also sore that the media has still not approached them for their versions.
Incidentally, on April 18, junior enginner SP Jaiswal, who looks after illegal constructions, accompanied the two officials and not Manoj Srivastava, who was shot dead at the Indira Bhawan premises later in the evening. This amply proves that there is much more than meets the eye.
Pointedly, businessman-turned-politician SC Gupta had written to commissioner Sadakant, raising objections to the construction in question. Sadakant, upon receipt of the letter on January 8, directed ADA vice-chairman to hold an inquiry and submit a report. Subsequently, the poll notification overtook the inquiry.
Again, in early April, Gupta wrote to Sadakant voicing concern over the manner in which illegal constructions were being carried out. He even named a Goswami family involved in an erection on the Thornhill road. The commissioner sent the complaint to the ADA VC asking him to file a report.
On April 12, the VC asked the joint secretary for the file pertaining to the construction. It was pending with the junior engineer (map section) Manoj Srivastava. The chief town planner, who is the technical expert of the master plan had okayed the construction, sources informed. The next two days being second Saturday and Sunday, nothing concrete happened after which the VC had to leave for Lucknow in connection with some official work. Minutes before his arrival on April 18, the junior engineer was murdered. It was later learnt that even on April 18, the VC’s office had received a letter from the Commissioner, asking him to personally visit the site and submit a report. A flurry of activities in the ADA followed the murder, with employees demanding arrest of the assailants, compensation of Rs 15 lakh from the state government coffers, in addition of Rs 2 lakh from the ADA for the victim’s family, CBI inquiry into the episode and demolition of the illegal construction belonging to the suspected assailants.
By this time, there was no mention of the secretary or joint-secretary’s role in the murder. However, suddenly the employees were up in arms against the joint secretary who was manhandled and forced to leave the office by a group of irate employees.
Later, the joint secretary was stripped of his charges and his transfer was also recommended by the ADA VC. The employees called off the strike and resumed work.
Conceeding that “ADA is the nerve centre of corruption,� joint- secretary Janardan Barnwal pointed out that ever since his appointment he had been offered stiff resistance by some employees whose working was questionable.