BENGALURU: An online petition started to withhold the transfer of Manoj Kumar, chief conservator of forests and member secretary, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), Bengaluru, has received over 2,700 signatures, but the public demand has fallen to deaf ears. Various citizen groups in Bengaluru were left fuming when they came across a notification from the state government, confirming the transfer of the officer to Chamarajnagar circle.
The notification went viral on several social media platforms, with people using the hashtag #WeNeedManojBack. Unhappy with the decision, Pranay Dubey, president of citizen group Electronics City Rising, had started a petition two weeks ago — ‘Retain IFS officer, Manoj Kumar #WeNeedManojBack as Member Secretary KSPCB’. In a span of just two days, the petition got at least 1,000 signatures.
According to citizens, the transfer came after Kumar recently submitted KSPCB reports to the High Court, stating that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has not taken positive steps to comply with the provisions of the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016.
The report produced before the HC stated that the BBMP was not maintaining solid waste processing plants and dumping waste at the Bellahalli landfill. The report also stated that BBMP has not obtained consent under the Air Act and Water Act from KSPCB, as far as landfills at Mavallipura are concerned.
Last year, D Randeep, IAS, who heads Solid Waste Management at BBMP, was reinstated after a similar petition was started, receiving 900 signatures.