CORPORATORS UPSET for being kept out of bureaucratic loop

MUMBAI: Corporators of Opposition parties on Wednesday slammed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) ignoring them and keep them away from the three-day exhibition on plastic alternatives that was National Sports Club of India (NSCI), Worli. They allege, the babus of BMC deliberately kept them out of the loop. They claim they were given no notice of the exhibition and learned about it in the newspapers a day prior to the exhibition. Ravi Raja, the Leader of the Opposition in BMC, questioned the reason why the corporators were not invited and questioned the role of the bureaucrats. "The Public Relations Officer told me to consider the newspaper article as the invitation. The Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Special) Nidhi Chaudhari and Assistant Municipal Commissioner Kiran Dighavkar okayed a crucial role in this exhibition. Her designation should be Deputy and Assistant Municipal Commissioners (Twitter)," Raja said. The Corporators said they could have spread awareness and could have got more locals involved in this exhibition, which could have benefitted the consumers. Rais Shaikh from SP said, there was a greater need for awareness and educating the public. Alleging the plastic ban is an official licence for extortion, Asif Zakaria, Corporator from H - West Ward (Bandra), said the babus should have shown more trust. “The list of banned and exempted items was prepared at the list by the babus. Keeping everyone guessing. In this, the lack of information has proved to be more detrimental and has led to fear," said Zakaria.