Civic Standing Committee adopts proposals worth over Rs 100 crores 'frantically'

The civic standing committee "hurriedly" cleared proposals worth over Rs 100 crores out of the total Rs 840 crores tabled before it on Wednesday, passing them in a matter of minutes and without debate, while deferring the other proposals to the next meeting. The meeting was disrupted by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) corporators shouting slogans and publicly branding the city administration and the ruling Shiv Sena "corrupt" and having "malafide motives," resulting in turmoil and high-voltage drama at the civic headquarters.

 

Yashwant Jadhav, the head of the standing committee, refuted these claims, saying, "None of the suggestions were passed hurriedly." Before endorsing these recommendations, there was proper deliberation." The shambles began when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporators' pleas to discuss the agendas and recommendations on the list that were presented to the committee on Wednesday were denied, and their arguments were declared "not taken." As a result, during the meeting, all BJP councillors shouted chants accusing the ruling party of corruption.

 

"In a meeting held on Wednesday, the Standing Committee received nine proposals totalling Rs 840.03 crores. We observe a lot of inconsistencies in these suggestions; therefore, we're pointing out how crooked the system is. For example, the administration has moved two proposals totalling 19 crores for the Dahisar jumbo covid care centre, one of which is for 11.5 crores to cover the rent due to one Aux Management for the next three months.

 

We've learned that one of the Shiv Sena's ministers is quite close to the Aux Management. Another Rs 3. 5 crores will be spent on bed management in lifeline hospitals, with the shortlisted company having ties to the ruling Shiv Sena. This is thievery of public funds. The motion was passed by the Chairman without any debate, and no BJP representative present was allowed to speak "Vinod Mishra, a member of the committee, remarked

 

Mishra went on to say: "Another example is BMC's payment of 142 crores to consultants without any work being completed, which was revealed when fraudulent bills were discovered in a CAG report. Approving ideas so quickly reveals their (governing party's) nefarious motives."

 

Bhalchandra Shirsat, another BJP corporator and BJP Maharashtra Spokesperson, said: "For only three months, a rent of Rs 11.5 crores was paid. Why couldn't the city government build its big centre if it has so much money? They demonstrate at one end that there is a financial problem, so why spend such large sums on unimportant proposals?" This comes at a time when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections 2022 are around the corner with ruling opposing the remarks and attacks of the opposition.