Uttam Khobragade
Uttam Patruji Khobragade | |
---|---|
Native name | उत्तम पत्रुजी खोब्रागडे |
Born |
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | 8 May 1951
Residence | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
Occupation | Indian Administrative Service Officer |
Years active | 1984 – 2011 |
Spouse(s) | Manda Uttam Khobragade |
Children |
Devyani Khobragade Sharmistha Khobragade |
Uttam Khobragade is a retired officer of the Indian Administrative Service and father of Devyani Khobragade. He is president of Bahujan Karmachari Mahasangh, an organization that advocates on behalf of lower caste workers.[1][2] He is also an adviser to Samata Shikshak Parishad, an organization of teachers based in Nashik.[3]
Early life
Khobragade was born on 8 May 1951[4] into a prominent Dalit family from Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. [5][6]
He obtained a bachelor's degree in science, followed by a law degree[4] from the Government Law College, Mumbai.[7]
Career
Khobragade qualified to become an officer of the Indian Administrative Service of the 1984 batch.
From 1 August 1986 to 1 December 1993 he served in the departments of Land Revenue Management and Rural Development.[4] After that, he was Collector and District Magistrate of Mumbai Suburban District up to 1 July 1996.[8] He subsequently worked in various departments such as Planning and Program Implementation, Environment and Forests, Social Justice and Empowerment,[9] and Rural Development.[4] From 1 October 1998 to 18 October 2000 he was Managing Director of Maharashtra Agricultural and Food Processing Corporation (MAFCO).
On 18 October 2000 he took over as CEO of Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority until he was transferred out of this position on 1 August 2002.[10][10][11][12][13][14][15]
From 1 August 2002 to 16 July 2004, he was Commissioner of Food and Drug Administration, Maharashtra State.[16][17][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]
On 16 July 2004, he returned to Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority as its Vice President and CEO.[28][29][30]
On 25 May 2005 he was assigned position as Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation.[31][32][33][34]
In 2006, he served as Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development, Government of Maharashtra.[35][36][37]
From 28 June 2006 to 2 June 2010 he was General Manager of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport.[38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48]
From 2 June 2010 to 31 May 2011 he served as Principal Secretary, Tribal Welfare Department.[49]
Khobragade is currently a Director at U M Trade Private Limited, Nagpur[50] and Uttam Vaccine Product Private Limited, Mumbai.[51][52]
Political Aspirations
After retirement from the Indian Administrative Service on 31 May 2011 Khobragade sought to become a Member of Parliament from the Rajya Sabha.[53]
On 15 January 2014 Khobragade told reporters that he would contest the Lok Sabha elections in May 2014.[54]
On 2 September 2014 Khobragade joined the Republican Party of India (A) to revitalize the Ambedkarite Dalit movement in the country. He told reporters that he hoped to contest the Dharavi seat in the upcoming Maharashtra State Assembly elections.[55]
Books Published
- Justice For Common Man (1993–2005 Collection of My Selected Judgments on land and excise matters)
- Our struggle has just begun: Speeches delivered by the author, a radical administrator from 2004-2006 (Aavishkar Publications, Mumbai 2006. English, 1st ed)[56][57]
Controversies
Grahaswapna Housing Society scam
In January 2014 the Maharashtra Police Anti-Corruption Bureau issued a confidential report that revealed a floor space index (FSI) scam at the Grahaswapna Co-operative Housing Society at Juhu, Mumbai.[58]
In 2002, Uttam Khobragade, the then Vice President and CEO of Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) sanctioned an FSI of 2.4 against the permissible FSI of 2 for the construction of ground plus ten-storey structure. Khobragade is also a member of this society and was allotted a flat.[58]
Housing society members bought 28,000 sq ft of additional space from MHADA at a rate of Rs. 250 per sq ft and then sold it to a private builder at the market rate of Rs. 14,000 per sq ft for a total of Rs. 39.20 crore.[58]
Besides Khobragade, his personal assistant Kamlesh Mirani, MHADA chief officer L Hazare, and chief engineer Vijay Thakre also got flats in this society, and were allegedly involved in the allotment of extra FSI. "These Mhada officials violated the development control rule 33 (5) by misusing their power for own benefit," stated the probe report.[58]
Adarsh Scam
Khobragade and his daughter Devyani have been accused of being part of the controversial Adarsh Housing Society scam due to ownership of a flat.[59]
The inquiry commission that is probing the Adarsh Society scam has found Ms. Khobragade ineligible to purchase the flat in the building that she owns. Her father Uttam Khobragade, had filed the application on her behalf but his daughter already owned another flat in the suburb of Oshiwara under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. Thus there was a violation of eligibility criteria. The report also discloses that neither of them had disclosed to the Commission the source of the money to buy the flat.[60]
On 21 December 2013 Khobragade told reporters "We explained to the commission that in 2004 we had applied for Adarsh society membership, and we had informed the society that we have another flat in Oshiwara. We had told them that if this (Adarsh) flat is working out, we will resign from the membership of the Oshiwara co-operative society. But from 2004 to 2008, there was no progress in Adarsh society, and Devyani’s membership was approved only in 2008. By then, the Oshiwara flat was completed. The moment Adarsh society gave her the membership, we sold the Oshiwara flat for a sum of ₹ 1.9 crore, and paid the capital gains tax of ₹ 30 lakh. From this money, we purchased the Adarsh flat. This is a normal practice among IAS officers; if they get a better property, they resign from the first membership and take up the second one. Now tell me, what wrong have we done? It is true that I was the CEO of MHADA when the flat was allotted to Devyani. But I didn’t show any favouritism. I wrote to the government and she was allotted the flat after the government’s approval."[61]
Besides owning flats in the controversial Adarsh Society, he is also accused by the CBI of helping the Adarsh Coop Housing Society to use higher floor space index (FSI) than permitted, by allegedly transferring an adjoining plot reserved for a BEST bus depot to Adarsh.[62]
The committee in charge of investigating the Adarsh Housing Society scam exonerated Mr. Khobragade in its report.[63]
'King Long' buses
On 15 December 2007 BEST introduced luxury, air-conditioned buses that the then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and BEST General Manager Uttam Khobragade claimed were imported from China and manufactured by Chinese bus maker King Long.[64] The buses were referred to as 'King Long' on BEST's own website several times.[65][66][67][68][69][70][71]
Acquired over several years at a cost of ₹ 50 lakhs to ₹ 80 lakhs each, passengers constantly complained about BEST's fleet of 285 buses, citing frequent breakdown, leaking air conditioners and engine fires.[72]
On 17 May 2010, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, which had acquired 15 of these buses, decided not to ply them any more. The next day, BEST General Manager Uttam Khobragade claimed that there were no plans to withdraw them from BEST's fleet since they were "safe" and "performing well".[73][74]
On 18 November 2011 BEST estimated that the buses had caused losses to the tune of ₹ 75 crore annually.[75]
On 15 December 2011 BEST General Manager Om Prakash Gupta said that BEST has blacklisted the bus manufacturer and would never buy from it again.[76]
On 29 August 2012 an investigation conducted by the newspaper Mumbai Mirror revealed that the buses were actually manufactured by an Indian company, JayCee Coach Builders Limited (JCBL), at Lalru, Mohali in Punjab. The investigation claimed that the buses were in fact branded Cerita, and their logo was covered up during the inauguration ceremony with elaborate floral decoration.[77]
Sannis Wang, deputy general manager of King Long's Overseas After Sales Department claimed that it only had a limited contract to provide some bus parts to JCBL.[77]
An application made by Mumbai Mirror under the Right to Information Act showed that BEST's 285 Cerita buses had 4,037 breakdowns between January 2010 and June 2012.[77][78]
Commenting on Mumbai Mirror's investigative report, Uttam Khobragade said in August 2012 "It is a five-six year old matter (whether the bus was a King Long or a Cerita brand) so I wouldn't remember the specifics. All I know is that due process was followed to bring in these buses and under me these buses ran very well and greatly helped bring down pollution."[77]
Tussle with BEST Union
On 21 April 2006 nearly 44,000 employees of Mumbai's Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) went on an indefinite strike to protest against the management's alleged decision to cut wages and change service conditions of the workers, as recommended by the Justice Kurdukar Pay Revision Committee.[79][80]
BEST management obtained an order from an industrial court in Mumbai, and the Maharashtra state government invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act to restrain the BEST Workers Union from resorting to a strike but the strike went ahead anyway.[81]
On 24 April 2006 the two-day strike was called off, following a meeting between the employees union and the BEST management, during which BEST workers' demands were met and an agreement was reached.[82] The then BEST general manager Swadhin Kshatriya said that the deal will cost the bus service ₹ 402 crore in the next five years, a burden to the loss-making organization.[83]
The BEST trade unions also entered into an agreement with the management to refer the matter of revision of pay scales, dearness allowance, house rent allowance, leave travel assistance and various other allowances to a three-member Pay Revision Committee.[84]
On 5 April 2007 the BEST Workers' Union general secretary, Sharad Rao, threatened to launch an indefinite strike to protest the management’s "delaying tactics in the implementation of interim dearness allowance"[84] which was to come into force in April 2006. Rao also alleged that BEST management was selling and leasing BEST property to private players without consent of the union, as mandated under the Bombay Industrial Relations Act.[85]
On 19 April 2007 employees of BEST launched a 72-hour strike. The then BEST general manager Uttam Khobragade obtained a Bombay High Court ruling deeming the strike illegal.[86]
In his capacity as BEST general manager, Khobragade filed a First Information Report against the union at a police station under the provisions of the Essential Services Maintenance Act. He also filed a contempt petition in the Bombay High Court since the union had gone on strike despite the High Court's injunction against it.[87] Khobragade served employment termination notices to 5000 BEST employees for failure to not report to work by 8 pm on 20 April 2007.[85][88] BEST also kicked off a recruitment drive on 20 April 2007 and hired 750 new bus drivers and conductors on a daily wage basis.[89]
Half an hour before the 8 pm deadline on 20 April 2007, Sharad Rao called off the strike.[87] Rao accused the BEST management of accepting Rs. 30,000 from each of the 750 new recruits employed.[90]
On 11 June 2007 Rao further alleged that the new recruits were trainees who were causing road accidents.[91] In 2006-07, of a total number of 10,500 BEST drivers, 9,447 were found to be involved in cases involving major and minor accidents.[92]
On 27 October 2007 Khobragade close down co-operative societies run by the BEST Workers' Union at Majas, Colaba, Mulund, Anik and Goregaon bus depots, terming them as illegal. Sharad Rao, President of BEST Workers' Union, responded on 30 October 2007 by filing a First Information Report against Khobragade at each of the 5 police stations concerned.[93] The same day Khobragade stated that "The signing of several pay revision deals with unions is the prime reason for losses incurred by the undertaking's transport wing," he said.[94]
On 25 May 2010 Khobragade was transferred out from the position of BEST general manager. Sharad Rao, President of BEST Workers' Union, celebrated by organising a ‘Vijayi Melava’ (victory conclave) at the Azad Maidan that evening and distributing sweets to BEST employees at BEST bus depots across the city.[95]
Colour-blind bus drivers
After 2007, BEST passengers complained frequently about BEST drivers driving rashly and breaking traffic rules, which led BEST administration to suspect that these drivers might have poor vision.[96] A surprise vision test conducted in March 2013 revealed that, of the 750 BEST bus drivers recruited during the 2007 strike, 142 were colour-blind.[97] BEST Committee member Sandeep Deshpande said that in 2009, when the bus drivers were confirmed as permanent employees, they did not undergo an eye test. Instead, they produced a fitness certificate from civic hospitals, which was accepted by the BEST administration.[96]
Reacting to the issue, former BEST general manager Uttam Khobragade said:
"I am sure the new recruits were medically examined. If some of them were colour blind, they wouldn't have plied our buses for the next six years. I don't know how the authorities have detected colour blindness, but I can definitely say they are not from the batch of drivers recruited in 2007."
On 23 April 2013 the 142 colour-blind drivers were grounded and directed to J. J. Hospital for a second opinion .[98] By July 2013, 70 drivers were cleared by the medical board at J. J. Hospital as fit to drive while 49 were declared unfit for the job.[99]
Personal
Uttam Khobragade is married to Manda Khobragade and the couple have two daughters. His daughter Devyani Khobragade is an Indian Foreign Service officer.[5]
References
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- 1 2 3 4 "Executive Record Sheet (Retired IAS Officers) Shri Uttam P Khobragade". Ministry of Personnel, Government of India. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
- 1 2 Gowen, Annie (20 December 2013). "Who is Devyani Khobragade, the Indian diplomat at the center of the firestorm?". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
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- 1 2 "Uttam Khobragade, commissioner, MFDA: 'We have found pesticide in 4 Pepsi drinks'". Rediff News. 23 August 2003. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
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- ↑ "Regional Manager of MSRTC in Nagpur suspended". 17 July 2005. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ Bhupta, Malini (1 May 2006). "Bird flu scare: Poultry business sees plummeting sales, huge losses, suicides". India Today. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "Maharashtra issues notice to Venkateshwara Hatcheries Sourcing bird flu-affected chickens". 21 Feb 2006. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "Bird flu hits India". Times of India. 19 Feb 2006. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "Maharashtra transfers 16 IAS officers in reshuffle". Hindustan Times (Press Trust of India). 26 June 2006. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ Karnik, Shweta (6 December 2007). "BEST thing : reduce taxis, rickshaws". Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ Seshan, Govindkrishna (25 August 2007). "Rediff News Now running TV ads in Mumbai's BEST buses". Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ D’Silva, Jeetha; Pitalwalla, Yassir (30 Mar 2007). "Mumbai's BEST buses to run on clean fuel". Live Mint. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ Naik, Yogesh (24 Feb 2007). "BEST PLAN: Dharavi electricity supply will be privatised soon". The Times Of India. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ Khapre, Shubhangi (6 Dec 2006). "These IAS officers live Ambedkar's dream". DNA. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ Mishra, Ashish Kumar (23 Nov 2006). "BEST puts its solicitors on notice". Economic Times. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ Mishra, Ashish Kumar (14 Nov 2006). "BEST bus corridor gets govt nod". Economic Times. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ Aklekar, Rajendra (6 November 2006). "Finally, fast bus lanes for Mumbai buses from Jan". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ Shah, Gouri (31 Aug 2006). "Watch a comedy show while you wait for traffic to clear". DNA. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "CCTVs on buses". Times of India. 26 August 2006. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "State seeks inquiry against uttam khobragade". Mumbai Mirror. 25 Jun 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ http://corporatedir.com/company/u-m-trade-private-limited
- ↑ http://corporatedir.com/company/uttam-vaccine-product-private-limited
- ↑ https://www.zauba.com/director/UTTAM-PATRUJI-KHOBRAGADE/02370679
- ↑ Shukla, Stuti (19 Dec 2013). "Devyani Khobragade's father aspired for berth in RS, daughter has Adarsh flat & more". The Indian Express. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "Devyani Khobragade's father Uttam to contest Lok Sabha election". Times of India (Press Trust of India). 15 Jan 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
- ↑ Omar Rashid (2 September 2014). "Devyani Khobragade’s father joins Athawale’s RPI". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
- ↑ http://www.worldcat.org/title/our-struggle-has-just-begun/oclc/294988587
- ↑ Khobragade, Uttam (2006). "Our Struggle Has Just Begun".
- 1 2 3 4 "ACB digs out Rs39-crore Mhada scam". DNA. 21 Jan 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ http://www.financialexpress.com/news/indian-diplomat-devyani-khobragade-owned-flat-in-adarsh-society/1207604
- ↑ http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/devyani-ineligible-but-owns-flat-at-adarsh-society/article5483912.ece
- ↑ http://www.telegraphindia.com/1131221/jsp/frontpage/story_17705437.jsp
- ↑ http://www.moneylife.in/article/who-is-devyani-khobragade/35684.html
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- ↑ "BEST introduces King Long, air-conditioned buses from China". One India News (UNI). 15 Dec 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ http://www.bestundertaking.com/BusPassScheme2011.pdf
- ↑ http://www.bestundertaking.com/buspassfebruary2011.pdf
- ↑ http://www.bestundertaking.com/pdf/BusPassDecember2010.pdf
- ↑ http://www.bestundertaking.com/new_projects.asp
- ↑ http://www.bestundertaking.com/external.asp
- ↑ http://www.bestundertaking.com/hire_bus_enquiry.asp
- ↑ http://www.bestundertaking.com/transport_engineering.asp
- ↑ http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-best-s-long-story-cut-short-1815721
- ↑ "Despite fire worries, BEST will ply King Long buses". Times Of India. 18 May 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ Siddhaye, Ninad (17 May 2010). "MSRTC rests all King Long buses, will BEST follow?". DNA. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-18/mumbai/30414145_1_ac-buses-sena-member-hike-in-bus-fares
- ↑ http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-12-15/mumbai/30519836_1_king-long-buses-ravi-raja-fires
- 1 2 3 4 "King Long buses that keep breaking down are not King Longs". Mumbai Mirror. 29 Aug 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "The big lie about King Long AC buses that actually are made in Punjab". Moneylife. 29 Aug 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "BEST employees on indefinite strike". Economic Times (Press Trust of India). 21 April 2006. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "BEST stir brings Mumbai to a halt". IBN Live. 21 April 2006. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "BEST threatens strike; govt invokes ESMA". Mid Day. 20 April 2006. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "Mumbai breathes easy as BEST strike ends". Business Standard (Asian News International). 24 April 2006. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ Kelkar, Suhit (7 Jun 2006). "BEST agrees to hike wages". DNA. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- 1 2 "BEST in tussle with union over DA issue". Financial Express. 6 Apr 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- 1 2 "Bus, bahut hua". Mumbai Mirror. 20 Apr 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "Bus strike hits city hard, staff to be sacked". Hindustan Times (Indo-Asian News Service). 19 April 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- 1 2 "Strike off as BEST takes tough stand". The Hindu. 21 April 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "Striking BEST employees served termination notice". Zee News. 19 April 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "BEST unions blink, call off strike". Times of India. 21 Apr 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "Prove charges or resign, BEST GM tells Sharad Rao". DNA. 28 Apr 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "Rao hurls allegations at Khobragade". One India. 11 June 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ Chaubey, Vedika (18 November 2010). "Red devils on the road". Mid. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "Sharad Rao registers 5 FIRs against BEST GM". One India. 30 October 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ Karnik, Shweta (30 Oct 2007). "BEST to pay salaries, but decision on bonus later". DNA. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ Mahamulkar, Sujit (25 May 2010). "BEST union to celebrate Khobragade’s transfer". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- 1 2 3 Sen, Somit (26 April 2013). "Colour blind drivers recruited to end 07 strike". Times of India. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ Sen, Somit (23 Apr 2013). "142 bus drivers in BEST found 'colour blind'". Times of India. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ Chavan Rane, Prajakta (25 Apr 2013). "Eye check-ups for all BEST drivers after 142 were found colour-blind". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ Chavan Rane, Prajakta (17 July 2013). "60 colour-blind BEST drivers back on the job". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
External links
- My daughter's return, an essay by Uttam Khobragade