The second-floor offices at the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s headquarters in Danapith are caught in a state of constant change. This is because as deputy municipal commissioners (DyMCs) change, so do their offices. This has been costing the taxpayers, said sources.
When a newly appointed DyMC demands a larger office space, the civic body spends around Rs 20-25 lakh on providing this. When he leaves, DyMCs in the adjoining chambers at times get his chamber resized and renovated to suit their needs.
Wasteful expenditure
This did not pose a problem when the floor had four DyMCs. But now there are 12. Every time there are transfers and DyMCs move, chambers shrink and expand leading to wasteful expenditure.
Recently, the video conference hall made way for a new chamber for a deputy commissioner. In 2019, an office was demolished to construct a gym which was later repurposed into an office space for the commissioner’s personal staff.
In 2020, an influential deputy commissioner got two offices joined to create a spacious workspace, while another officer’s chamber was made a video conference hall.
Unreasonable demands
A senior AMC official noted that new DyMCs already possess sizable offices at the zonal locations where they are stationed, making their demand for additional space at the headquarters, where they spend little time, seem unreasonable.
Large sums are spent on furnishing and other facilities. There is need for a transparent office space policy at the civic body’s headquarters to save taxpayers’ money.
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