Mangaluru: City corporation commissioner Hephsiba Rani Korlapati has earned the wrath of the elected representatives with her independent style of functioning.
She had taken over just about four months ago. The corporators were cross that she had declined to approve some bills in the recent past, although she gave proper reasons. She also made it mandatory for everyone, including the corporators, to get her permission before being admitted into her chamber. She even took action against the peon at her chamber door for allowing some persons without her approval.
There are different opinions heard in the corridors of the city body. The contractors’ lobby has been accused of working through some corporators to get her transferred. A delegation of corporators met the state chief minister when he was in the city last month, to complain against her. But the CM is said to have ignored their word.
The corporators’ grouse was that Hephsiba, being an IAS officer, did not give them proper respect. She has also been accused of not adjusting with others because of which development work was getting delayed.
Senior Congress leader and former Union minister B Janardhan Poojary had recently fumed against those trying to get her shifted from here, citing that she had come up from the lower rungs by sheer hard work.
When most corporators took a stand against her, mayor Jacintha Vijaya Alfred too had to go along with them, in spite of a woman being hounded out, say a few insiders.
Since the commissioner has faced hostile and aggressive attitude from some of the corporators, she decided to do something for herself by writing off a letter to the city police commissioner on April 22, requesting for personal security.
Taking cognizance of the situation, police commissioner S Murugan has now ordered that a personal gunman be provided to her.
Recent headlines:
- Mangaluru: MCC Commissioner Sets Visiting Hour for Public between 4 to 5 pm
- Mangaluru: Hephsiba Rani Korlapati IAS Takes Charge as New Commissioner of MCC
- Mangaluru: Hephsiba Rani Korlapati IAS is New Commissioner of MCC
It is sad – very very sad that the situation has come to this level of The Corporation commissioner asking for police protection. In the interest of all concerned and the people of Mangalore it is expedient that all try and bury their hatchets and come together and work with unison. Unless this is done and unless people at different levels make it a workable proposition, there is bound to be confusion.
Hope that better discretion prevails and together all make an action oriented and result oriented PLAN