Navi Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe scores again, with support from Fadnavis

NMMC Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. (File Photo)

Navi Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe Saturday scored yet another moral victory over elected representatives in the Navi Mumbai municipality. Throwing his weight behind Mundhe, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis suspended a resolution unanimously approved by the municipality’s general body on August 26, 2016. Despite the civic administration’s opposition, the general body had adopted the resolution permitting contract labourers appointed for housekeeping duties in the civic headquarters wages at par with permanently employed labourers from 2014 onwards.

Mundhe had opposed the resolution on the grounds that the contract with labourers in 2014 clearly spelt out the payments. He had argued that the general body’s decision would burden the city’s coffers. But with the elected representatives firm on their decision, Mundhe approached Fadnavis for scrapping the resolution. The CM-led Urban Development department issued orders suspending the general body resolution.

Earlier, in November, Fadnavis had overturned a no-confidence motion the corporators’ body had moved against Mundhe, arguing it was against “public interest.” Incidentally, the Fadnavis-led department also issued orders suspending a resolution by the BJP-Shiv Sena-led Mira Bhayander municipal corporation on February 2, 2016, when the sitting mayor had declared nomination of independent corporator Sriprakash Jiledar Singh as Leader of the House. The department said since BJP was the single largest party, a BJP corporator ought to be Leader of the House.