Navi Mumbai civic body revokes deputy commissioner Gaikwad's suspension, keeps engineer Gade's
The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation general body lifted Kailas Gaikwad's suspension but kept Pravin Gade suspended and referred his case to an ad hoc committee.
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The adjourned general body meeting of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation was held on Tuesday and decided on the suspension of two officials. The suspension of Dr Kailas Gaikwad, deputy commissioner of the anti-encroachment department, was revoked, while the mayor directed that the suspension of Pravin Gade, executive engineer of the electrical department, be retained.
Gaikwad had been suspended on a charge of taking a bribe. He is alleged to have taken the bribe to clear a pending bill of a contractor of the anti-encroachment department. In the same case, the anti-corruption bureau had caught him red-handed at the corporation headquarters.
The matter was raised by House Leader Sagar Naik during discussion on agenda item 11. Former mayor Jaywant Sutar then suggested that Gaikwad's suspension be ended and that he be posted as deputy commissioner in a department other than anti-encroachment. Mayor Sujata Patil announced that the suggestion was accepted.
One thing must be clear: the revocation of the suspension does not mean the bribery allegations against Gaikwad have ended. The allegations stand.
The discussion on Gade was different. When his suspension came up, members raised questions about his style of working and about the electrical department's various contracts. Two schoolgirls had received electric shocks from exposed live wires in Nerul, and Gade was suspended after that incident.
Members nevertheless alleged that Gade was still working. BJP corporator Suraj Patil demanded an inquiry into his work. MNS corporator Abhijit Desai said that electrical works worth about Rs 12 crore were carried out in the Nerul area during the administrator's tenure, and that those works should also be investigated.
After the discussion, Mayor Sujata Patil ruled that Gade's suspension would continue. She said the matter should be referred to an ad hoc committee for an in-depth inquiry into his work, and a detailed proposal should then be brought before the general body again.
The mayor also made it clear that Gade would not be placed in any other department until the inquiry is complete. His suspension thus continues.
