Agra, 22 July: Agra Mayor Hemlata Diwakar hired Rakesh Bansal as her Officer on Special Duty (OSD), who is suspected of obtaining properties worth โน 238 crore through fraudulent ways and is under investigation. Rakesh Bansal worked for the Agra Municipal Corporation in the past.
According to a senior municipal official, former municipal commissioner Nikhil T Funde fired Rakesh Bansal from the municipal corporation on charges of corruption and launched a vigilance investigation. Rakesh Bansal’s nomination as OSD has aroused various concerns because an inquiry into him is still ongoing.
Dr. GS Dharmesh, Agra’s current MLA and former Minister of State in the Yogi Adityanath government, made a formal complaint to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath about Rakesh Bansal’s corruption, which is presently being investigated.
Several Agra Municipal Corporation councillors protested the appointment of Rakesh Bansal as OSD by Agra Mayor and former MLA Hemlata Diwakar in front of Municipal Commissioner Ankit Khandelwal. Councillors claimed that Bansal, who is accused of corruption, should not have been appointed as OSD till the final inquiry is completed.
The Mayor of Agra stated that, while she has selected Rakesh Bansal as her personal OSD, this has nothing to do with the Municipal Corporation. “Rakesh Bansal has extensive experience working with the Municipal Corporation, and he has been appointed as OSD to capitalise on that,” the mayor stated.
Councillor Sunil Sharma also vehemently opposed Rakesh Bansal’s appointment and stated that if this appointment is not rescinded, all BSP councillors and employees will protest.
Councillor Banati Mahore, who strongly opposed the mayor’s comments, stated that by designating the person suspected of corruption OSD, the mayor’s motive is evident. “Are hundreds of Municipal Corporation employees so inexperienced that the mayor had to appoint a corruption accused as her OSD?” inquired Banati Mahore.
According to Aam Aadmi Party’s Kapil Vajpayee, by choosing Rakesh Bansal as his OSD, the Mayor has encroached on the power of the Municipal Commissioner, as the Municipal Commissioner has the right to nominate the OSD, not the Mayor. “It is clear how the Mayor will run the Municipal Corporation based on the manner in which the Mayor has given the appointment letter to a person accused of corruption. The Aam Aadmi Party will request that the Municipal Commissioner conduct an investigation into the matter,” he stated.
