MUMBAI, Dec 13: Municipal Commissioner Girish Gokhale appears to have bitten off more than he can chew with his vitriolic reaction to the State Government's decision to introduce the Mayor-in-Council system. Incensed by his comments, Chief Minister Manohar Joshi today directed Chief Secretary S Subramanian to initiate disciplinary action against him.``I have asked Subramanian to initiate stern disciplinary action against Gokhale. It was highly improper on the part of an official of the rank of Municipal Commissioner to react in such a manner to a Cabinet decision. It was deliberate breach of discipline,'' an indignant Joshi told The Indian Express.Reacting to the Cabinet decision, Gokhale had threatened to resign, saying he did not wish to be reduced to a ``subordinate official'' in an organisation where he had worked as numero uno. ``I am the highest authority in the corporation.and I will not accept the number two position. If the government curtails my powers beyond a reasonable limit I will not stay in the corporation,'' Gokhale had said.Launching a frontal attack on Gokhale, Joshi said ``he will be given full opportunity to present his case before the appropriate authority so that it is not construed as unilateral action.''. But top sources in Mantralaya said if it wasn't for the Election Commission's directives prohibiting all suspensions and transfers, the government would have shunted Gokhale out of the corporation immediately.Clarifying his decision, Joshi said the decision to introduce MIC in the Mumbai and Nagpur Municipal Corporations was taken after prolonged deliberations and after studying the functioning of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation, where the system has long been in existence.Joshi said on the occasion of the golden jubilee celebrations of the country's Independence his government felt that the Mayor - currently nothing more than ornamental post - should be vested with more powers.``From his (Gokhale's) statement, he appears to be still living in the British Raj. If he is not happy with the government's decision, he should quit the job instead of threatening to resign, and that too through the media. We will not tolerate such officials. They pollute the administration,'' Joshi remarked.The current spat is the latest in a long series of altercations between Joshi and Gokhale. It all began with Rural Development Minister Anna Dange lodging a complaint against Gokhale for his failure to attend important meetings in connection with the supply of drinking water for the metropolis.Last week, the Urban Development department, directly controlled by Joshi, virtually passed strictures against Gokhale for inept handling of the row over illegal constructions raised by a section of the major textile mills in the metropolis.Principal Secretary (Urban Development) K Nalinakshan had brought to the Joshi's notice Gokhale's justification of the report on illegal constructions submitted by a senior corporation official. Instead of recommending stern action against the erring officials, the corporation official had approved the construction of houses on the surplus land which was meant for industrial galas.
