Greater Chennai Corporation transfers 3 officials over street lights in city lakes – Times of India

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation on Thursday transferred three electrical department officials, including a senior official from Ripon Buildings, almost a week after a story in TOI on illegal street lights installed in Puzhal and Korattur lakes.
The civic body in 2018 put 2,170 street lights in KfW funding at a cost of ₹9.5 crore.
The transfers have come following a four-day long inspection, enquiries and a report by Ambattur zonal officer and regional deputy commissioner (central). R Vijayalakshmi, divisional electrical engineer (head quarters) have been shunted out from the Ripon Buildings and posted in a non-electrical department posting as superintending engineer in regional deputy commissioner (south) office.
T Suresh, assistant executive engineer (electrical), zone 7 (Ambattur), who executed this project in 2018, has been transferred to zone 2 (Manali) in north Chennai. The corporation has also transferred S Balamurugan, assistant engineer (electrical), who took charge after the project was implemented. Officials said this was because the new AE had done maintenance work for these street lights despite knowing they were inside water catchment areas and lakes, and did not report about it in the past four years. The civic body however has not taken any action on chief engineer (electrical) P Doraisamy, who was the signing authority of the project.
Activists however said the transfers are an eye-wash. “Why has the vigilance department not booked the officials and criminal proceedings initiated? The CM must use the state vigilance department to probe into the issue. Transfers do not mean anything,” said anti-corruption NGO convenor Jayaram Venkatesan, who has been fighting to initiate criminal proceedings against erring officials.
Vigilance officer R Gunavharman did not respond to calls. Earlier, he had said he was carrying out independent investigation.