Despite serious charges of misleading the BMC administration and the state government by presenting false information in a bid to get himself shortlisted for the prestigious President's Medal, no action taken against Shashikant Kale, ousted chief fire officer. According to corporators, Kale has just been removed from his post as CFO instead of being suspended.
Kale the in-charge chief fire officer of Mumbai Fire Brigade has only been demoted, the corporators said. "Even after such a serious charge against him and several other cases of corruption a few years ago, Kale has still not been suspended, neither has complaint has been registered against him. An inquiry needs to be initiated against Kale and officers whom he reports, were they unaware of Kale's record. Why was he promoted in the first place with a tainted career record? I demand he should be suspended until the inquiry against him is completed," said Vinod Mishra, corporator from Malad and BJP group leader in BMC.
Last month, BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal himself found that he (Kale) had hidden information of corruption charges against him while applying to be considered for the prestigious President’s Meritorious Service Awards, which are awarded on the Republic Day.
On November 24, Chahal had written to Mahesh Pathak, Principal Secretary - Urban Development Department (UDD), informing that Kale had filed “false” information in the application form that has to be filled out by those who wish to be recommended for the President’s award. He requested the UDD to remove Kale’s name from the list of officers who will be recommended by the Maharashtra government to the President’s Office for the prestigious medal.
According to BMC officials, Kale, a deputy chief fire officer (zone 6) who was given the additional charge of the CFO, in his application recommending his name for the award, had not disclosed that in a span of 14 years, he had been suspended twice on the charges of corruption and that there had been adverse/negative notings in his Annual Confidential Report (ACR). An inquiry in this matter has been constituted against Kale.
Mishra added, "The issue is a matter of embarrassment for the country’s oldest fire brigade. We will be discussing the matter with the BMC Commissioner very soon. A person with such serious charges cannot continue to work until the inquiry against him is over. Hence he should be suspended immediately."
Corporators who are members of the civic standing committee are also planning to raise the issue in the committee's meeting on Wednesday.
