By Apurva Bhatt
Newly appointed Municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta has warned assistant municipal commissioners of the city's 24 civic wards that they will be held responsible if average rainfall leads to flooding in their areas.
An official said this is the first time a civic chief has issued such a warning. "He took a meeting on Saturday that started around 10am and went on till early evening. He was specific. He asked each assistant commissioner to make a 10-minute presentation about their wards and then told them to take anti-flood measures."
He said that Mehta, who took charge of the BMC recently, told the officers that they are central to the civic administration and so must see to it that things don't go wrong. Another official said that Mehta told the assistant commissioners that they were like CEOs of their respective wards and so cannot evade responsibility. Some of them were even told to come better prepared for a review meeting next month.
Mehta said, "I have given them deliverables and absolutely clear-cut mandates. I am expecting performance."
