₹850cr worth proposals get civic committee nod in just 90 mins

MUMBAI: With the election code of conduct expected to kick in soon, the Shiv Sena-bjpruled civic standing committee cleared 32 proposals, worth Rs850 crore of taxpayers’ money in just about 90 minutes, without much discussion.

The proposals cleared include a Rs620-crore road improvement project, passed without being discussed by elected representatives. Another project — worth Rs347 crore — to improve traffic junctions in the island city was also approved, at 21.69% more than what the civic administration estimated.

A proposal to build concrete

₹67.20 crore for storm water drain projects

roads in the eastern suburbs, for which only one bid has been received, was also cleared by the BMC, which selected a contractor for the project in violation of the norms. Restoring Crawford Market, repairing dilapidated buildings and getting penguins for the Byculla Zoo were some other projects cleared on Wednesday.

Although protocol states the meeting’s agenda must be sent to committee members three days in advance, it was delivered only on Tuesday night.

The opposition hit out at standing committee chairman Yashodhar Phanse for approving projects without discussing it. “This is not the first time they have done this. They did not even let us discuss the proposals,” said Congress corporator Pravin Chhedha. Phanse, however, said he had allowed discussion. “The opposition is intentionally creating an issue to show the SENA-BJP alliance in bad light. I had given them a chance,” Phanse said.