The residents of Dadar, Matunga and Sion, the areas which falls under the civic F-North ward has called for the protest on Tuesday, April 1 outside the ward office in Matunga against the abrupt transfer of the Assistant Municipal Commissioner Nitin Shukla. The residents call the transfer malified as Shukla was appointed as the ward officer merely six weeks ago and was working diligently. The residents demand Shukla’s reinstatement.
“Shukla’s abrupt transfer is nothing but done out of political pressure. Since day one he started taking actions against unauthorised hawkers. His both actions, demolition drive at Matunga and Sion Koliwada did not go well with workers of MLA Tamil Selvan. There was also an altercation during demolition drive in Sion Koliwada when Selvan’s karyakarta threatened a BMC engineer on duty. However, Shukla shielded the engineer and warned the karyakarta to not speak wrong against the officers on duty,” said Ramesh Deshmukh, President of Municipal Engineers Association.
Shukla came into news in March first week when he demolished the unauthorised stalls at Matunga flower market, located near Matunga Central Railway station on Bhandarkar Road. Although many stalls are licenced, but have expanded their stalls, encroaching the footpath completely. However, the hawkers made a mockery of BMC’s demolition drive by restarting their business within hours of eviction. The next day, Shukla took bulldozer again to demolition the stalls, however, the hawkers squatted on ground preventing BMC from any action.
The FPJ on March 29 had reported quoting Shukla that a new inspection report has been made on the Matunga flower stalls and another eviction drive will be taken soon.
The hawkers were supported by BJP MLA Tamil Selvan. Speaking to the FPJ Selvan had said that the ward office did not issue notices by rule to the hawkers in advance, which was unjust and criminal. He said that he has written to CM Devendra Fadnavis about unjustified action by the BMC against authorised hawkers.
Deshmukh, who is also a Matunga resident in his letter to CM Fadnavis, Dy CM Eknath Shinde and BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani has said, “Shukla is an intelligent young officer who has achieved second rank in recent the MPSC exams and joined as Assistant Commisioner. From day one he performed his duties honestly, but as reward he has been transferred. Shukla’s abrupt transfer is unjustified, without any concrete reason and come only out of political pressure.”
Resident of Matunga and activist Chetan Trivedi said, “Shukla was the most efficient officer F-North ward had in last 16 years. He was a dedicated officer and wanted to change BMC’s image.”
“It is a shame that an officer who was performing his duties honestly as per HC orders to remove encroachments on the footpaths, have been abruptly transferred. It is nothing but political pressure,” Trivedi added.
