Mangaluru: A day after MCC (Mangalore City Corporation) Commissioner Hephsiba Korlapati Rani was transferred to Vijaypura as ZP CEO (Chief Executive Officer), corporators of MCC pointed fingers towards MLA, Mangalore South, J R Lobo as the driving force behind her transfer.
A councilor under the condition of anonymity told Newskarnataka.com that J R Lobo along with Mohiuddin Bava influenced the Chief Minister to push Hephsiba out from the MCC.
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It may be recalled that soon after Hephsiba assumed the post, of Commissioner, Manglore City Corporation, Congress corporators in unison had started to air complaints about the Commissioner’s work style.
Interestingly, during that period, J R Lobo openly backed the lady IAS officer saying time and space has to be given to the new officer to digest the problems of the MCC. Newskarnataka.com had earlier reported this (read the story here – Call for MCC Commissioner’s transfer, gathers steam among corporators).
MLA, however talking to Newskarnataka.com admitted that he was one among many, who worked in this direction. “I am not the only one, ministers from Dakshina Kannada, and Udupi mainly Ramanath Rai and Vinaykumar Sorake and MLA of South, Bava involved in the transfer.”
He further added that he was supporting the officer to maximum extent as he was instrumental in bringing the IAS officer to the corporation after the post went vacant for over seven months. “When I found that development works were frozen under her administration I decided to go along with the mood of corporators.”
A credible source revealed that J R Lobo personally spoke to the ‘concerned authority’ to get the transfer done. Though earlier Lobo had backed Hephsiba, gradually the legislator retraced his steps in favour of her transfer. the name of KAS officer A R Ravi, Commissioner Shivmogga City Corporation is doing the rounds for the post, currently vacant.