Must say this right away. I don’t know Mr A B Ibrahim well enough to wish him ill. In fact, I haven’t had occasion to meet our city commissioner. But he seems to emerge a no-good guy, if we go by media reports. Says a newspaper, citing an association of concerned and informed citizens, that our city is badly in need of a ‘good’ commissioner and ‘sincere’ officer. And here I am, blissfully ‘uninformed’ about this dire need. What’s worse, I wasn’t aware that Mysoreans were fed up with Mr Ibrahim’s ‘misrule’ (Deccan Herald), and that he stood accused of ‘a series of mistakes, including mismanagement’ (The Hindu).
In a democracy we are all entitled to our opinions (read noises). And we have a hand-out driven media in which anything goes as reportage. I am into citizen journalism. And I have no views, only some naïve questions.
Is Mr Ibrahim the source of everything that has gone wrong in our city? Don’t we have anyone else in authority capable of mucking things up?
Is transfer of the municipal commissioner, if warranted, such a hassle that it calls for people-powered initiatives, such as those of the mayor, our councilors, not to speak of the association of concerned and informed citizens (no less, I guess) ?
Incidentally, does this association speak for the Mysore citizenry? Don’t you think they should really call it A(S)CICM ( ‘S’ for ‘some’ or ‘so-called’) ?
Should postings and transfer of bureaucrats be the concern of an association of citizens, however concerned and well informed they be? Weren’t such things the prerogative of the administration ?
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5 comments:
Mr. Ibrahim may not have done everything right but the charge against him by the mayor is that he has done everything wrong! Now, the commissioner has said that the procedures adopted to pass a resolution to oust him was wrong. If this is true, it does not surprise me, I don't expect the Honorable Mayor and the learned corporators to be well aware of the rules (or to abide by them!). Its our fault that we vote for these people and its our fault for not voting at all in the first place. Coming to the ACICM situation. While any set of people or organization or an individual may be allowed to voice their opinions, no one has a monopoly. ACICM is perhaps an organization that is made up of some people who are used to rabble rousing and staging dharnas. These people, god knows who they are consulting, manage to appear in the newspapers and get their sound bites recorded. Good for them but are they samaj sevaks or are they politically motivated? Next MCC election in mind? thats the question and journos must call their bluff. I have in the past responded to their outlandish outburst about the proposed Mysore Airport where an ACICM convener (?)had spoken on a subject (aviation)completely alien to him but the newspapers lapped it up without verifying or even cross examining him about the data provided by him. When I rebutted this persons argument in the newspaper, naturally there was no further response and thats when I thought that the term ACICM is a misnomer and these chaps are not informed (concerned maybe) at all!
I think the reason why the new avatar of the former MATF (with depleted glitteratti now)is getting so much news space is because the common and really well informed citizen of Mysore has been caught napping and is refusing to wake up and get himself heard. Its not the fault of the ACICM to be in the position that they are in, its our fault as citizens to have been too lazy to get involved and give unnecessary importance to these so called citizens groups.
Agreed Dr (Lt.Col) Anand, lot of cheats and crooks are looting the revenue of the corporation by subletting space at high rentals while they themselves pay very small amounts to the corporation - if at all they pay.
But just because people do not pay levy can we raze down the crop grown and replant the entire field. We have to ensure that the crop grown is maintained properly, enforce the levies are paid properly (without any undercutting) and allow everybody to prosper.
This is certainly the attitude that needs to be followed in the case of Devaraja Market. The weeds of evil need to be rooted out. Ensure that the revenue is generated properly.
I need to maintain my health properly with proper nourishment. I cannot avoid food over a period of time and then cry saying that I do not have the strength to live.
This is exactly what has been DONE to the building. Mr. Ibrahim may not be the actual culprit. But the corporation certainly is not in the clear.
This everybody has to agree!!!
The previous comment went without my name
Should Mr. Ibrahim be blamed for all the wrong? A few thoughts of mine - Mr. Ibrahim started well with excellent revenue generation, clearing of footpaths, demolition of some illegal commercial'(emphasis is on 'commercial') structures. But the public are at dark why he let the latter two jobs half finished! The half-done job has left the footpaths in bad shape. Debris are still seen in several places. Footpaths continue to be occupied as before. Should we blame the Commissioner, the politics behind it or the political interference? It is any body's guess.
The Mayor and her councillors, including the 'Opposition' (again I lay emphasis on 'Opposition')
councillors threw their whole lot behind whatever Mr. Ibrahim did just a few months ago. (Remember Makkaji chowk and other tenders?!) Now, the Mayor finds fault with Mr. Ibrahim. He says, "I am right. I have done a good job on the contract on cleaning up the roads of Mysore." The Mayor, however, disagrees. Why she did not intervene as the first citizen when the discussions were mooted. She had every right to intervene on behalf of the citizens, if the Commissioner was liberal with the coffers of the Corporation. Does any one read more than what it meets the eye in this sudden differences between the Mayor and the Commissioner?
I do not like to comment on ACICM or MGP. But what an amount of valuable space they get in the local press! No verification of the authenticity of the claims made, no follow up, no backgrounder! Well, Mr. GVK you know and you have already rightly commented on this.
To cite one example, the reaction (to ACICM statement) of Capt. Anup Murthy on the Mandakalli airport should have been an eye-opener. But for his letter, there was no further follow up.
Until about a decade back, the Mandakalli airport was good for landing of the Dakota. In fact, many leaders right from Lord Mountbatten to then President Rajendra Prasad, Rajaji and Prime Minister Nehru have landed their in their special aircraft. The Hindu was operating a special daily service bringing its newspaper parcels to Mysore for a few months. Only about a decade ago, the airport was neglected and the facilities were withdrawn. Till Capt. Murthy wrote about the airport, our rabble-rousers were not aware of it, but got a good mileage in the media, which was also not aware of their own reports a couple of years ago on the airport!
January 12,'06
First,Congrats on raisng a topic that is very pertinent to Mysore and Mysoreans.
The issue is not whether Mr. Ibrahim is the culprit or the Association is right.What is being exhibited is a National Trait, if you can call it. The ability to work objectively, work with facts and figures and willingness to listen to the other Party. Time and again, wheter it is Devaraja Market, Makkaji chowk or even how much water is collected,released to the citizens... all this is mystery! The officials do not have clear data,in the absence of which figures are fudged, logic goes haywire when confronted and
then emotion and politics take over...
Surat Municipalty was very well run by a Kannadiga- Mr. Rao, when the city faced the problem of plague.He was on his feet most of the day visting hospitals, making the drugs available, discussing and taking decisions regarding improving hygiene and cleanlines. People fought to retain him when he was transferred..Similarly another Kannadiga,as Commissioner of Thane took on the land sharks of Mumbai ,went to court and got them to vacate their illegal occupation of land.They could do all that because, they were willing to listen ,take people along with them and create confidence amongst the population..That seems to be missing here..
E.R. Ramachandran
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