Role reversal: BBMP clerk threatens corporator; suspended

Dharmaraya Swamy Temple ward corporator, P Dhanaraj, was threatened of dire consequences when he questioned a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) first division clerk if she was attending work regularly.

Speaking at the BBMP council’s post-lunch session on Tuesday, Dhanaraj pointed out how some highly influenced people were protecting Sudharani, who works at the BBMP’s Chickpet Division. Sudharani, who got the job on compassionate grounds, had followed Dhanaraj in an autorickshaw up to Lalbagh West Gate and used unparliamentary language while he was riding pillion on a scooter, he said.

“My fault was asking her whether she was working at the BBMP office. She told me that she had been working as a manager at the BBMP office. I then told her that I had never seen her working at the office for the past three years. She retorted that she doesn’t need my permission to sign in the attendance register,’’ recalled Dhanaraj.

“I am ready to resign as the corporator if any BBMP official proves that she has attended office in the past three years,’’ he said.

Lamenting over the unparliamentary language she used, he said: “She told me that I have to beg after five years and she would continue as a BBMP employee till retirement. I was in utter shock to hear such words from a BBMP employee. I had to keep quite since the employee was a woman. I had complained to the authorities concerned but they were afraid to take action against her owing to reasons best known to them. I too had to be careful to avoid a harassment case being charged against me by her.”

At this juncture, corporator from Dr Rajkumar Ward, Ganga Byraiah, demanded the mayor D Venkatesh Murthy to direct the commissioner to suspend Sudharani for not attending duty and also for threatening a corporator. Meanwhile, Murthy asked Dhanaraj whether Sudharani should be dismissed or suspended till inquiry. “If I take action against her, what about your safety outside the BBMP council? We can protect you in the council, but what about outside,’’ Murthy asked Dhanaraj.

Finally, the Murthy directed the commissioner to suspend Sudharani with immediate effect and order an inquiry to find out if she had misused the BBMP property or authority. The commissioner in turn ordered for the suspension of Sudharani from service with immediate effect.