Thane: Opposition parties have questioned Thane municipal commissioner Saurabh Rao over the deployment of a former assistant commissioner in the election branch and demanded his transfer before the local body elections.A delegation of local leaders from Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, NCP (SP), and Congress met Rao late Monday following their joint rally. They pointed out how the junior official, who faced corruption charges during his stint in some of the city wards, could play mischief if deputed in the election department and also sought disciplinary action against him. Rao assured that he would look into the claims at the earliest.“The election department is crucial ahead of the municipal elections, and deploying an official who was accused of malpractice in the past may not ensure free and fair election proceedings. The official must be immediately transferred… How come officials coming on deputation are posted permanently here?” asked NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad.MNS Avinash Jadhav and Congress Thane chief Vikrant Chavan echoed: “We want the official to be transferred out of the election branch at the earliest.”Shiv Sena (UBT) Guhaghar MLA Bhaskar Jadhav also questioned if certain officials were given plum postings in crucial departments. He sought their immediate transfer and warned the Thane municipal commissioner that he would raise the issue in the winter session of the assembly.Awhad pressed for a white paper on Thane Municipal Corporation’s promotion policy, claiming that several officials deployed in crucial departments didn’t meet the eligibility criteria.
