IFS officer transferred for imposing penalty on BMRCL and BBMP for dumping waste in lakes.

IFS officer who imposed penalty on BMRCL and BBMP for dumping waste transferred. The activist questions the timing of the transfer. Before exiting from office, advises, pollution board to crack a whip of polluters of lake.  

IFS officer and CEO Lake Development Authority, Vidyasagar who penalised BMRCL and BBMP for dumping debris and garbage in lake rewarded with transfer for showing guts to take on the dumping mafia.

Recently, Vidyasagar has issued notices to imposing penalty of 5 lakh on two instances and which has caused lot of embarrassment to BBMP and BMRCL.

First notice was issued to BBMP as its contractors were found dumping garbage in Bellandur Lake. As BBMP Commissioner is the head of the institution, the notice was addressed to him similarly, last week BMRCL was imposed penalty of Rs 5 lakh as broken concrete pillars were dumped in Mylasandra Lake.

“The officer was strict and he was man of action. He would not spare any violators and was strict with rules. Whenever an honest officer tries to make system better, he is moved out of the department,” said Ram Prasad, Convenor, and Friends of Lakes.

Echoing similar sentiments, Sridhar Pabbisetty, CEO Namma Bengaluru Foundation and Lake Activist expressed shock over the sudden transfer of Vidyasagar who was doing very good job with lakes development.

“The timing of the transfer is questionable. The transfer comes as a surprise when NGT had given crucial order for Bellandur and Varthur. Instead of strengthening the lake development authority, the government is hell bent on transferring good officers. This act of government raised lot of doubts among lake lovers and environmentalists,” he said.

It was it 11 months when Vidyasagar took over as the CEO of the LDA which is severely short staffed. Although he had only 15 percent staff, he ensured some development with lakes.

“The biggest challenge was to bring trust among NGO’s who want to do something for lake. The government agencies usually harass the NGO’s. But I ensured nothing like that happened and lot of them have joined hands in developing lakes. The actual work had just began but I am now transferred, “he said.

When asked about the mafia behind his transfer he said, he just did his duty and did not care who the violators were while issuing notices. “Although will heading the Forest Forest Development Corporation, I will still be around lake development project. I take this transfer in a positive note,” he said.