MUMBAI, MAY 31: President of the Chiplun Municipal Council (CMC) Ramesh Ramchandra Kadam has been removed from office after being found guilty of various charges of corruption and misuse of office. A 54-page order dated May 15, 1999, issued by Principal Secretary of the Urban Development department Nand Lal, who conducted the inquiry against Kadam, summarily removed from his post under the provisions of the Maharashtra Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and Industrial Townships Act, 1965.
Kadam has also been disqualified from contesting elections to the CMC for six years by the state government.
Kadam's sacking is a major blow to the Congress, which enjoys a majority in the CMC. It is expected to boost the Shiv Sena's prospects in the next general elections with local MLA Bhaskar Jadhav resolving to make the issue his poll plank.
It was Jadhav who, in May 1997, filed a complaint against Kadam with the state government, leading to the inquiry by Nand Lal who used his quasi-judicial powers to probethe charges at the level of local self-government bodies in Maharashtra.
After nearly a year-and-a-half of hearings -- Kadam's version was heard early this year -- Nand Lal found the CMC president guilty of seven of the 12 charges against him.
These include:
Sanctioning 89 development projects for Chiplun -- a small but rapidly growing town in Ratnagiri district -- on an urgent basis, and spending lakhs on them, when no urgency was warranted.Kadam had also `passed' tenders for 14 projects on his own, bypassing the CMC general body which is authorised to decide on the schemes.
Getting a road built for his personal use in front of his house under the Nehru Employment Scheme. In doing so, Kadam also overruled the objections of the CMC Town Planning department. Besides, the land on which the road was laid was private property. Appointing as many as 1,197 people for Class 3 and Class 4 posts in the CMC when he did not have the authority to do so. These appointments were made when theemployees actually holding the posts were on leave. Ideally, all such appointments must be made through the employment exchange and selection boards after the requisite examinations. Willfully ignoring financial irregularities in the CMC amounting to lakhs of rupees. While Kadam was expected to direct the administration to recover dues from the shop owners in a shopping complex constructed by the CMC, he deliberately looked the other way, resulting in massive losses to the CMC exchequer. Hiring a road roller at the cost of Rs 10,81,000 for two months despite the fact that the CMC owns one. Pushing through several items which were never on the agenda of the CMC general body. These included 108 items relating to financial decisions. Kadam's moves denied the CMC members a chance to study the items.Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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