With the state government already relaxing several Covid-related curbs, the Opposition BJP has been demanding to hold in-person meetings of the Standing Committee and has held protests outside the mayor and municipal commissioner’s office to press for the same. (File) Meetings of various committees of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will continue to be held online. A letter from Urban Development Department (UDD) sent to municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal has clarified that even though the proposal of conducting physical meetings of the BMC and other corporations is under consideration, no decision in the regard has been taken so far.
UDD’s letter came in response to last week’s order by the Bombay High Court in which BMC was directed to decide on a physical meeting, instead of online, of the Standing Committee. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator Vinod Mishra had filed a petition in the high court seeking directions on conducting physical meetings of the committees.
Reacting to Chahal’s letter, the BJP has warned of filing contempt petitions before the HC against the state government and BMC Standing Committee chairman.
“The decision on holding physical meetings of all statutory committees of all urban local bodies is under consideration before the state government and the competent authority has not taken any decision on it. Taking note of this, corporation’s Standing Committee meetings will continue as per the instructions issued on June 28, 2021,” stated the letter from October 12, signed by Sachin D Sahastrbuddhe, undersecretary, UDD. The letter also said that the proposal of holding physical meetings of statutory committees of all urban local bodies was tabled before the competent authority on October 6.
With the state government already relaxing several Covid-related curbs, the Opposition BJP has been demanding to hold in-person meetings of the Standing Committee and has held protests outside the mayor and municipal commissioner’s office to press for the same.
Shiv Sena leader and Standing Committee Chairman Yashwant Jadhav has said that the state government has not taken any decision on physical meetings. “The BJP is doing a political gimmick. We respect the order from the high court but the state has directed us to follow guidelines of June 28, which means online meetings will continue,” said Jadhav.
BJP corporator Bhalchandra Shirsat, however, said, “The high court direction clearly says that a decision on physical meeting should be taken within five days. Despite that, an online meeting was held. We will file a contempt petition.”
The BJP has even found support in the Congress, one of the constituents of the state’s ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, on the issue.
“There are many technical glitches and several members cannot express their views clearly in online meetings. Many other things have opened up, why can’t these meetings be held physically?” Ravi Raja, Opposition leader in the BMC, said.
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