MiC turns down proposal to promote Mane

The issue was raised last Thursday by health committee chairperson Sardar Tara Singh when the proposal to promote Mane was placed before the MiC. As per the rules, any contract between Rs 10 lakh and two crore has to be approved by the concerned civic committee, and any contract over thisamount has to be passed by the MiC.

But Mane reportedly awarded contracts worth Rs five crore by obtaining the signature on the files by additional municipal commissioner V R Ramani. However, MiC members gave Ramani a clean chit, stating that he had probably not read the files properly or that the work orders had been issued after he signed the files.

Satam had no details of the work orders, saying since the commissioner was holding an enquiry, it would not be pertinent to ask for details.

The MiC also rejected a proposal to sanction Rs 15 crore for the second phase of construction of a hawkers’ Plaza at Dadar (west) today. Satam admitted that the construction, which was to be completed in a span of 11 months by July, would not be completed in time. The MMRDA had given the BMC an interest free loan of Rs 29.10 crore on the condition that work would be wrapped up by 11 months. If the work is not completed, MMRDA will slap the BMC with an interest of 13 per cent on the loan.

The work has now beendivided into two phases, with the adjacent Raut Wadi to be used to build the hawkers’ plaza, informed Satam. Under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), Raut Wadi residents were to be accommodated in a transit camp in the wadi itself, but since they have opposed shifting, work on the plaza has been delayed, added Satam.

Hold open probe into MiC ‘

With the curtain finally falling on the Mayor-in-Council (MiC), Mayor Nandu Satam today challenged critics to hold a public inquiry into all the decisions taken by the MiC in the last 11 months.

“Those who are making allegations against us should enquire into every decision at the Shivaji Park with the public as witness. Why hold a private enquiry,” thundered Satam. After the MiC weekly meeting, Satam today announced that he would not contest the municipal elections again. “I have contested the election thrice and I think it is not fair for any corporator to stay in the ward for more then this time,” he reasoned. When I was the shakha pramukh,I had demanded that both the corporators and the MLAs should stay in office for two years and then make place for other party workers so that no injustice is done to the party workers.

“However, if the party is satisfied with the worker, he should be given a maximum of an additional term,” he said adding that nobody should try for a fourth term.

However, he refused to answer any further questions regarding the functioning of the MiC and the reason for the scrapping of the system saying, “I will answer all the questions in the general body meeting.” Regarding the letter by 12 Shiv Sena MLAs to the CM demanding that the system be scrapped, he said, “Wait for the reply in July. There are certain things which cannot be made public when you are occupying some chair. Probably, when I am a corporator, I will be able to reply to everybody.”