CEO alleges misbehaviour by CHB Chairman

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 24

The Chandigarh Housing Board  (CHB) is facing another crisis with its Chief  Executive Officer  (CEO) Kavita  Singh levelling  allegations of being bypassed in official  matters and misbehaviour against board Chairman Maninder Singh. She has sought her transfer from the board.

Sources said Kavita Singh had written a two-page letter to UT Adviser Parimal Rai requesting him to relieve her from the CEO’s post.

The sources said the CEO had alleged that agenda items were not discussed with her  before being brought to board meetings. Referring to the minutes of a board meeting held on September 28, she said there were six additional agenda items. Some of these were never discussed with her.

“The board had passed certain  important policy  decisions. Had these  agenda   items been discussed or routed through  me, all legal as well as administrative  aspects would  have been examined as the CEO is the executive officer for most activities of the board.  This would have helped the board take informed decisions,” she wrote.

She said that one of the board  decisions was not in consonance with the  Act.  She said in the past too, important  policy decisions had not been discussed or routed through her. She said she took up the issue with the Chairman, but to no avail. On  one occasion, she  was asked by the  Chairman to seek her transfer from the board.

She further wrote, “To resolve the  issue, I sought an audience  with the  Chairman on September 29 around 5  pm and informed him about the issues. However, instead of giving me a patient  hearing, the  Chairman started  shouting and said I was accusing him of ulterior  motives. I requested him to control his temper. However, he continued in the  same fashion. As a public servant, I have been discharging my duties despite multiple charges. However, there can be no compromise on the  dignity and respect of an individual. In view of the  above  incident, it will be difficult  for me to continue in the capacity of the CEO  of the housing board and hence it is requested that I may be relived of the   charge.”   

Maninder  Singh  and Kavita  Singh could not be contacted  despite repeated calls and SMSes. UT Adviser Parimal  Rai was also  not available for comments.