Demand to cancel transfer of civic chief until water issue is resolved

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The city’s ongoing water crisis is expected to be resolved in the coming days. In the meantime, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, which shares power with the BJP in the municipal corporation, has demanded that the transfer of Municipal Commissioner G Sreekanth be cancelled.

A letter has also been sent to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis regarding the matter. Former mayor Anita Ghodele has further demanded that a resolution be passed in the general body (GB) meeting to revoke the transfer, and urged Mayor Sameer Rajurkar to convene a special session at the earliest.

Several local representatives have also expressed the view that the commissioner should continue in his role until the water supply issue is fully resolved.

Sudden transfer raises concerns

The municipal commissioner has been serving in the municipal corporation since May 2023 and was due to complete three years in office on May 23, 2026. However, the state government transferred him on Thursday to Mumbai as Director of the Jal Jeevan Mission.

The sudden move has come as a surprise, as many had expected him to continue for at least another year. Under his leadership, the first phase of the new water supply scheme is nearing completion. Water from Jayakwadi Dam has already reached up to 18 kilometres towards the city, and is expected to ease the water shortage in the coming days. Former Mayor Anita Ghodela and corporator Abhijit Jivanwal raised the demand for cancelling the transfer on Friday morning, stressing that continuity in leadership is crucial at this stage.

Mayor yet to receive letter

The mayor said that due to the Good Friday holiday, he has not yet received the letter regarding the demand. “A decision can be taken only after the letter is placed before me,” mayor Sameer Rajurkar said.

Why should the commissioner continue?

Officials of the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) were reportedly reluctant to bring water from Jayakwadi to the city. G Sreekanth took a firm stand and even warned that the factual situation would be presented in court, which led to water being drawn into the jackwell and testing of the pipeline being initiated. His transfer may stall the entire process.

Experts believe that merely treating water at Nakshatrawadi hills will not solve the city’s water problem. Transporting this water into the city will require significant effort, for which the civic chief’s leadership is considered essential.

Rules for convening a special GB meeting

To convene a special meeting of the municipal corporation:

A demand must be made by at least four members of the Standing Committee, after which a three-day notice can be issued.

Alternatively, 25 per cent of the 115 corporators must submit a written request to the mayor.

The mayor also has the authority to call a special meeting independently, but a mandatory seven-day prior notice must be issued in such cases.