‘Hiding facts, giving rosy picture to govt’: 5 BJP MLAs write to CM against ‘high-handed’ officers in Vadodara

In the letter to the CM, the MLAs alleged that due to the “mentality of the administrative system, it has become like fighting a war for the common man to get their work done”. (File photo)

Nearly eight years after three BJP MLAs staged a protest against “high-handed” bureaucrats in Vadodara five party MLAs from the district Thursday wrote a letter to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel alleging that officials are “ignoring and neglecting” development works suggested by the legislators in their respective constituencies.

The five MLAs — Shailesh Mehta from Dabhoi, Ketan Inamdar from Savli, Dharmendrasinh Vaghela from Waghodia, Akshay Patel from Karjan, and Chaitanyasinh Zala from Padra – sought urgent intervention of the Chief Minister in the matter.

Stating that the officials such as the District Collector, District Development Officer, Superintendent of Police and the Commissioner of Police have been “giving a rosy picture to the government while ignoring ground realities and the plight of the common citizens”, the MLAs said that the government had been “kept away from the real situation, which is damaging the image of the government.”

The five MLAs handed over the letter to Patel’s personal secretary in Gandhinagar, seeking action against the officials, who they said were “unprofessional and acting on personal whims while hiding facts” from the government.

The letter also states that due to a “bad mentality”, the administration in Vadodara is being “high handed as the officials act in a manner superior to the citizens and the elected representatives.”

The MLAs also alleged that the officials have been expressing displeasure at people approaching local elected representatives for redressal of their grievances.

Seeking action against such “erring” officials, the MLAs also reminded the CM that similar verbal complaints had been made in the past to seek intervention of the state government, but in vain.

Savli MLA Ketan Inamdar, who was also among the MLAs who staged protest in 2017 seeking action against “high-handed officers” in Vadodara district, said that the MLAs are forced to write to the CM as their reminders to the officials during local Sankalan (coordination) meetings had been falling on deaf ears.

“We have been aggrieved by officials who do not pay heed to suggestions by MLAs. They make arbitrary decisions and ignore the actual solutions that can be brought to resolve ground issues. Even the common citizens are suffering as they have to run from pillar to post for official work and are unable to approach the officers for resolutions,” Inamdar said.