TUSSLE: The ‘flavour’ of PHED over the years!

Jaipur: The situation in PHED refuses to become better and even today not everything is well in the department. In fact, word is that there is a ‘tussle’ between minister Dr Mahesh Joshi and ACS Subodh Agarwal. Everyone in the department knows Additional Chief Engineer of the department - Arun Srivastava - is one of trusted official of the minister and the official has complete ‘power’ in the department.

However, an incident on Tuesday shocked everyone. In a major meeting, ACS Subodh Agarwal not only scolded Srivastava, but even went on to say, “You have been perched in Jaipur for too long, now we will have to send you out of here.” The ACS had called the meeting with Collectors and senior officials of PHED over drinking water supply. When Jhunjhunu Collector raised complaints, one after the other, over water supply, it showed Srivastava’s irresponsible acts, which did not go down well with hard taskmaster Agarwal. Without caring about Srivastava being minister’s favourite, he took a class of the officer in the meeting. Officials in the department claim that the water supply situation in Srivastava’s area of Dausa and Sikar is also worse, a fact that has come in notice of ACS.

Such is the situation between Srivastava and minister Joshi that even after four months of a charge sheet has been given against Srivastava regarding scam worth crores of rupees in the water testing lab case, Joshi has not taken any action till now. Former Principal secretary Rajesh Yadav had caught this scam and he prepared chargesheet.

Actually, clashes between minister, secretary and engineers has become a constant in PHED. In the beginning, the relation between BD Kalla and Sandeep Verma had soured to such an extent that minister gave him 7 marks in ACR which was followed by clashes between Kalla & Rajesh Yadav. This was followed by tussle between Joshi & ACS Pant.

But now a new tussle has erupted between minister Joshi and Subodh Agarwal. Sources reveal that Arun Srivastava is looking to become Director of WSSO as well as ACE of Jaipur city, which is possible with minister’s ‘aashirwad’. But now it remains to be seen if after Tuesday’s incident, Srivastava can stay in Jaipur or not.