Gokhale downplays CM’s note

December 5: Municipal commissioner Girish Gokhale today denied that he was sent letters by the Sena-BJP government expressing displeasure over his style of functioning.

Gokhale said he had learnt about the letter only through the press. He added that a communication from chief minister Manohar Joshi’s office had, in fact, also stayed suspension orders on four civic engineers held guilty for illegal and unauthorised constructions of a section of the leading mills until further notice. Regarding the corporation’s decision to order law officer A H Chheda to proceed on leave, Gokhale clarified that the law officer is not bound to provide counsel to committee chairperson. However, he refused to comment further, saying a decision will be taken only after preliminary investigations by deputy municipal commissioner S R Dange are over. He informed that at the group leaders’ meeting, a decision not to cut the corporators’s fund by 20 per cent was taken. He said he had received an assurance from corporators that they would cut down on the fund by 50 per cent next year. Presently, the corporators get Rs 20 lakh every year. He added that in view of the severe revenue crunch facing the corporation, the administration was trying to work out means to cut down on expenses. He claimed that the agitation of octroi agents had not affected octroi collection. The corporation has also written a letter to the police commissioner’s office, asking for security in wake of the octroi agitation. The agents had allegedly threatened octroi officials to stop work and participate in the agitation at the Dahisar check naka today. The agents are protesting the decision of the civic administration to hike the price of iron and steel.