All the proposals were passed within half an hour without any discussion. (File) Amid protest from BJP corporators, the last meeting of the BMC Standing Committee on Monday cleared more than 300 proposals worth about Rs 2,500 crore. All these proposals were passed within half an hour without any discussion.
On Monday, the five-year term of the elected corporation ended. After the meeting started, BJP group leader Prabhakar Shinde raised a point of order to speak. However, Standing Committee Chairman Yashwant Jadhav did not allow him, angering BJP corporators. While Jadhav was clearing the proposals, the BJP corporators started sloganeering against him and Shiv Sena. In all, around 370 proposals were agenda for discussion but many were kept on hold without any discussion. The 40-minute long meeting was stormy with BJP corporators tearing the copy of the agenda while protesting the functioning of the Sena-led committee.
The BJP alleged that in all, 374 proposals worth Rs 6,000 crore were passed without allowing any discussion. “The committee chairman is facing income tax department inquiry and still in a single day, proposals worth more than Rs 6,000 crore are cleared… without any transparency,” said Vinod Mishra, BJP corporator and party leader in BMC. Most of the proposals that were passed were related to improvement works in stormwater drains, construction of new hospitals and repair of roads.
The proposals included more than 30 works for stormwater drain repair, widening and strengthening works; construction of two hospitals in Bhandup and Kandivali; appointment of coordinating agency for construction of a bridge near Mahalaxmi railway station; repairs of bridges and subways; beautification and painting of bridges and public places; construction of underground water tank near Milan subway as well as repair of roads and footpaths.
After the meeting was over, BJP members sat on dharna outside Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal’s office demanding that all the proposals be cancelled.
Sena leader Jadhav denied the allegations. “I requested BJP leader Prabhakar Shinde to speak after the proposals were cleared but he refused and started making a ruckus. The allegation about not allowing him to speak is not true. We have cleared the proposals for the development of the city,” said Jadhav.
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