TUMAKURU: Appointment of additional director of the co-operative audit Naduvanahalli R Adarsh Kumar as the Managing Director (MD) of Tumakuru Smart City Limited (TSCL), just before the bypolls were declared for 15 assembly constituencies, has sparked a controversy.
As per the norms of the TSCL, an MD should be an officer with IAS or the selection scale KAS or at least KMAS(Karnataka Municipal Administration Service). The urban development department, apparently on the diktat of CM B S Yediyurappa, effected the order tactfully on September 19 but the copy released on September 21 and circulated as soon as the election commission declared the bypolls.
Ironically, the outgoing MD&CEO of the TSCL T Bhoobalan, an IAS officer, is scheduled to receive the bet MD&CEO award he won through the voting and his effective work at the Smart Urbanation 2019- 6th smart cities summit slated to be held on Sept.24 and Sept.25 at The Lalit Ashok in Bengaluru.
Though it was said that the district in-charge minister and Chikkanayakanahalli MLA J C Madhuswamy, also law and parliamentary affairs minister, had his hand in the appointment as both he and the officer hailed from the Lingayat community, the minister's supporters categorically denied it.
"Adarsh Kumar although hailed from the same caste and Naduvanahalli of Chikkanayakanahalli taluk he is not at all his relative. The LS member G S Basavaraju who is also a close confidant of BSY had played a pivotal role," they clarified.
It may be recalled that during 2008 when BSY was the, CM Adarsh Kumar was appointed as the Tumakuru Urban Development Authority(TUDA) commissioner. And it's obvious that he might have had his own influence apart from the minister and MP's help, explained Siddaramaiah, a BJP worker.
But the RTI activist Imran Pasha questioned the integrity of the officer as to how can he deliver the goods as the TSCL MD when he has no expertise in working under mega projects like Centre's ambitious smart city.
"The outgoing MD T Bhoobalan was strict and had kept some of the bills pending including that of clearing the clog of a rayakaluve which was implemented just on the paper. Hence he was ousted as the MD and Adarsh Kumar who may budge to the political influence has been brought in although he is not eligible", he alleged.
The district in-charge minister could not be contacted for his reaction even as TNIE tried to establish contact over the phone several times.