Patna, July 26: The standoff between Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) commissioner Divesh Sehara and councillors, including the mayor and his deputy, have virtually brought all development projects in the city to a grinding halt but neither side is ready to budge an inch.

The councillors want the state government to honour the corporation board’s resolution to remove Sehara. The commissioner’s spokesperson, on the other hand, cited an amendment in the Section 41 in the Bihar Act 11, 2007 and claimed that the resolution passed yesterday meant nothing.

Several ambitious projects were caught in the crossfire.

A day after passing the resolution in the corporation board to remove the commissioner, the elected representatives of the civic body were busy getting ready to move the high court if the state government did not budge on their wish.

The councillors often accused Sehara of arbitrary attitude. They also alleged that he had been deliberately delaying projects because he was not bothered about public interest.

“The fact that all the 55 councillors wanted him (Sehara) out in the special meeting yesterday proves how frustrated we are with him. We acknowledge that this is not an ideal situation but we were forced to do it because we cannot keep quiet any longer. This is a democratic set-up. If a bureaucrat forgets that, we will remind him of the power given to the elected representatives by the Constitution,” mayor Afzal Imam told The Telegraph.

He also issued a letter today appointing Chandrama Singh, the additional PMC commissioner (planning and development), as commissioner in-charge till anybody else was appointed.

“I am hopeful the state government would respect the decision taken by such a large number of councillors. If it does not, we will have no option but to move the high court,” Imam said.

Deputy mayor Vinay Kumar Pappu alleged that Sehara had misbehaved with councillors on several occasions.

“Sehara is probably the worst officer that PMC has ever got. He does not meet the councillors, ignores meetings involving us and does not bind to the decisions taken by the corporation board or the empowered standing committee. What is the point in continuing with such an officer?” Pappu said.

A spokesperson of the commissioner refuted the allegations of the mayor, his deputy and other councillors and said Sehara always took time out to meet them. It was because of some important engagements that he had to skip a few meetings of the corporation board or the empowered standing committee, the spokesperson added.

“It is unfortunate that the mayor, deputy mayor and councillors are not even aware of the recent amendment to the Bihar Municipal Act. According to the amendment to the Section 41 in the Bihar Act 11, 2007, the resolution regarding withdrawal of an officer cannot be taken within a year of his joining. As the present commissioner has completed just five months in office, the resolution holds no meaning,” the spokesperson said.