BANGALORE, Jun 14 (The Hindu): After two days of speculation, an official notification transferring S. Subramanya, Commissioner, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and other IAS officers was issued here on Saturday.
Bharat Lal Meena, Secretary to Government, Social Welfare Department, will replace Mr. Subramanya.
The last two days have witnessed hectic lobbying by MLAs and leaders of ruling as well as the Opposition parties both for and against the continuation of Mr. Subramanya in the office. Today’s order posted Mr. Subramanya as the Principal Secretary to Government, Agriculture Department.
BBMP and Mr. Subramanya were in news starting from the drowning of Abhishek, the six-year-old-boy at Lingarajapuram on May 31. The ‘inaction’ of BBMP in ensuring safety during rains and the delay in launching retrieval operations to fish out Abhishek’s body only added to the wrath of the public and media against BBMP.
This followed the visit of Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde and Upalokayukta Patri Basavanagoud to the bereaved family and the subsequent interview of Mr. Hegde to a television channel.
His statement that officials in BBMP did not have humaneness provoked Mr. Subramanya to take an extraordinary step of filing a defamation case against the Lokayukta on June 6.
However, Mr. Subramanya had to beat a hasty retreat within two days after Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa directed him to withdraw the case even as the pros and cons of the unusual step were debated.
Issuing of a building bylaw violation notice against Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, run by Nitte Education Trust, headed by Lokayukta’s elder brother N. Vinay Hegde, on June 9 by BBMP appeared to be the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
This prompted even ruling party leaders to train their guns against Mr. Subramanya.
Although Mr. Subramanya’s last days in office were marred by the Abhishek tragedy, the officer brought in huge changes regarding connectivity in the City. He introduced the “magic box” concept of underpasses and overpasses which eliminated the long delays in the construction of flyovers.
While the city administration could not offer uninterrupted connectivity to the Bangalore International Airport till it became functional last May, it was Mr. Subramanya who challenged the conventional method and provided signal-free movement till after Hebbal Flyover on Bellary Road.
The magic box concept was emulated in other parts of the city as well, including for pedestrian underpasses. To make junctions signal-free, Mr. Subramanya brought in the “rotaries” (‘Yield’ signals).
Widening of major roads, which was hanging in balance for many years, too was taken up on war-footing and major roads, including Race Course Road, Seshadri Road, Palace Road and Bellary Road were taken up.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Subramanya regretted that one unfortunate death had led to a series of incidents (culminating in his transfer). “I have worked to the satisfaction of my conscience and done some good work. But I cannot satisfy everybody,” he said and added that there would be thousands of forces dragging in different directions.
“I am following the government direction (of transfer),” he added.