Transfer of MC chief triggers row

LUDHIANA: Transfer of MC chief Kanwalpreet Kaur Brar has sparked a row, with the opposition slamming the ruling party saying the official had to suffer the consequences of removing illegal hoardings of the state government pasted on direction boards.
On Wednesday, the MC chief was transferred to Chandigarh while joint secretary, information and public relations cum joint principal secretary to Punjab deputy CM Sukhbir Badal, Uma Shankar Gupta was given additional charge as MC chief.He joined office on Thursday.
Sources in the local bodies department said the transfer was ordered after the MC chief acted on the complaints of residents and directed officials to remove illegal hoardings of the state government pasted on signboards on the night of December 7, ahead of the Moga rally on December 8.
According to sources in the MC, ruling party leaders were also furious over the MC's inaction against hoardings put up by the Lok Insaaf Party and AAP ahead of their rally in Dana Mandi on December 11.
Deputy leader of opposition in Vidhan Sabha and MLA (West) Bharat Bhushan Ashu said the move smacked of dictatorship.
Lok Insaaf Party leader Simarjit Singh Bains, who recently joined hands with AAP, threw his weight behind Brar saying she did nothing wrong by removing hoardings from signboards. He also urged other government officials to work fearlessly. Brar however, refused to comment on the issue.
AAP's Ludhiana West candidate Ahbaab Singh Grewal and Ludhiana zone observor Darshan Singh Shankar condemned the government's decision saying she did her duty in an unbiased and fair manner. AAP leaders said the IAS officer, who was posted as MC commissioner in Ludhiana was transferred because she refused to buckle under the political pressure of Akali leaders, who tried to arm-twist her into towing their line.
The leaders urged the Election Commission of India to take notice of this and impose model code of conduct at the earliest so that the Assembly elections are held in a free, fair and transparent manner.
They said that the IAS officer, who has now been replaced by a PCS officer, was just doing her duty as per the service rules, but this did not go down well with the ruling party which effected her transfer.
The newly-appointed MC chief, Uma Shankar Gupta said they would work for the development of the city and try to resolve people's grievances as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, MC officials are cracking down on illegal hoardings and posters in the city. Action was taken in all the four zones on Wednesday night also.