Proposals worth `1,000cr get BMC nod in 40 minutes

With one eye on the civic polls, the standing committee members of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), led by chairman and Shiv Sena corporator Yashodhar Phanse, approved 71 expenditure proposals amounting to around Rs1,000 crore within 40 minutes on Wednesday.

On an average, the standing committee meeting, which is held every week, gets up to 30 proposals for approvals and not all are approved after discussions.

The elected representatives had listed 74 proposals in the single meeting and had allotted a discussion time of 40 minutes for all of them.

A majority of this time was spent discussing three proposals, which were eventually put on hold.

In a tearing hurry before the election code of conduct sets in, the committee cleared the Rs34 crore proposal for the appointment of a consultant for the ambitious coastal road without any discussion.

The costliest GhatkoparMankhurd Link road proposal worth Rs455 crore was also cleared without any questions or doubts from the ruling SenaBJP and the Opposition.

The Maharashtra ACB has recommended closure of the chikki scam case against state women and child development minister Pankaja Munde for alleged irregularities in awarding contracts for materials worth Rs206 crore for school children.

ACB sources confirmed they have sent the closure report to the state government. Earlier, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant had filed a complaint with the ACB, alleging Munde’s ministry had, on her orders, flouted rules and favoured certain companies when awarding contracts worth Rs206 crore in February.

The complaint further read that dubious contracts awarded through 24 government resolutions were for the purchase of food items and other materials, ostensibly for children in rural and tribal areas.