Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In a strong move to ensure accountability and public service responsiveness, municipal commissioner Shivam Verma on Tuesday suspended a corporation employee for delaying the release of a retired worker’s pension and ordered the immediate construction of accessibility ramps outside the public hearing office.
During the public hearing held at IMC headquarters, retired electricity department employee Umesh Mangesh raised a complaint stating that his pension had not been released since his retirement on February 28 leaving him in financial distress.
Upon inquiry, it was found that Nitin Deshmukh, the in-charge superintendent of the electricity department, had failed to submit the pension paperwork in time. Verma took swift action and suspended Deshmukh on grounds of negligence, also ordering a departmental inquiry and the immediate processing of Mangesh’s pension.
In another noteworthy moment, an elderly woman from Sudama Nagar who had come to the public hearing was unable to climb the stairs due to knee pain, as no ramp was available outside the commissioner’s office.
Upon learning this, Verma personally stepped out to meet her, listened to her concerns and instructed officials to address her issue immediately. He also ordered the construction of ramps to facilitate access for the elderly and differently-abled—work that was begun immediately thereafter by Zone No 3 staff.
The public hearing saw a total of 65 applications covering issues related to revenue, markets, building permissions, sanitation, public works, and sewerage.
