Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Rajesh Patil has landed in fresh trouble with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, and National Commission for Safai Karmacharis as they sought action against him after a lawyer complained of “casteist abuse”.
The commissions have asked State Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Pune District Collector and Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissioner to submit an “action taken” report regarding the complaint of “caste abuse and harassment” by advocate Sagar Charan. While the National Commission for Scheduled Commission has sought action taken report within 15 days, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has sought the report within 30 days.
Charan said the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment has also asked its officials to enquire into his complaint.
Charan, a member of the District Vigilance Committee, a government body, had in his complaint to the commissions alleged that Patil had used “insulting language and objectionable words” when he had met him twice in the past few months. “I had met the commissioner twice in last four months. On both occasions, he behaved very rudely with me. He used insulting words against me. I felt totally embarrassed and insulted. I had gone to complain to him regarding the neglect of the conservancy staff by the PCMC. The ‘safai karmacharis’ are not even given basic equipment like gloves and gumboots during the cleaning operations. The PCMC does not pay attention to their health as well. I wanted to raise several such issues with the commissioner,” he said.
The SC Commission, while issuing notice to the top state officials, said, “The commission had received a complaint from advocate Sagar Charan. The commission has decided to investigate the matter in pursuance of the powers conferred upon it under Article 338 of the Constitution of India. You are hereby requested to submit an action taken report within 15 days on receipt of this notice either by fax, post or mail.”
A similar notice was issued by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes
The commission added, “Please take note that in case the commission does not receive a reply from you within the stipulated time, the commission may exercise the powers of civil courts conferred on it under Article 338 of the Constitution and issue summons for your appearance in person or by a representative before the commission.”
Patil refused to respond despite multiple attempts by The Indian Express to contact him. District collector Rajesh Deshmukh said he has not yet seen the notice. Pimpri-Chinchwad police commissioner Krishna Prakash also was not available for comment.
This is the third time in the past two months that Patil finds himself under a cloud. In the first instance, his administration had got nine locals, most of them women, and a corporator arrested for protesting against civic issues and throwing ink on his nameplate. They were protesting against the PCMC’s inaction over the dug up roads in front of their residences in Kasarwadi area. The protesters had to spend 14 days in Yerawada jail.
In another instance, a student’s body had complained to the Chief Minister against the commissioner for allegedly behaving rudely with them. The students, who are environmentalists, said that they had gone to meet the commissioner to seek action against a private agency for its failure to conduct tree census on time.
The BJP has also been at odds with the commissioner. It has alleged that the commissioner was acting on behalf of the NCP. On the other hand, NCP had appreciated some of the commissioner’s decisions like his refusal to approve payment of Rs 3,000 financial assistance to the barbers, autorickshaw drivers and vendors.
BJP corporator Seema Savale said, “I had been complaining to the commissioner for last one year regarding the corruption in smart city works. I had sought a meeting with him. It took him a full year to grant me audience. Every corporator has a problem with the commissioner. He is not polite and doesn’t try to understand the complaints made by citizens and corporators. I don’t know what is wrong with him. His lodging of police complaint against people and getting them arrested for protesting against civic inconvenience was the first such action by a commissioner in the history of Pimpri-Chinchwad.”
