Ahead of polls, BMC focusses on beautification

From hiring clean-up workers to installing high mast lights, civic commissioner I S Chahal on Friday made a slew of announcements, which, the opposition said, are aimed at appeasing people ahead of elections

From hiring clean-up workers to installing high mast lights, civic commissioner I S Chahal on Friday made a slew of announcements, which, the opposition said, are aimed at appeasing people ahead of elections.

Mumbai, India - December 16, 2022: Plants arranged in flower pots under the beautification project opposite Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), at Borivali, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, December 16, 2022. (Photo by Vijay Bate/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

Chahal said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) would hire 5,000 cleaners to help implement the Majhi Mumbai-Swachh Mumbai campaign.

“One supervisor will be appointed for every 10 cleaners. Unlike clean-up marshals, who are authorised to levy a penalty on citizens, these cleaners will not be taking any punitive action,” he said at a meeting with senior officials and ward officers.

After the visit of G20 delegates ended on Thursday, the materials used for beautifying the city like white and green covers, which were put up to hide the slums, would be removed, he said. “Those materials will be stored for such visits in the future. G20 delegates are scheduled to make seven more trips to the city in the coming year.”

The civic body also announced that 500 high mast lights would be installed in the next 3 months, especially in slums and narrow lanes. Besides, special hanging lights will be put up in narrow lanes.

Under Mumbai beautification project, a vigilance committee will be set up in each of the 24 wards to monitor the progress and quality of works, the commissioner said. The committee will also act on complaints received from citizens. Chief minister Eknath Shinde in September granted ₹1,700 crore to the BMC for the project.

Additionally, at least 200 toilets for women will be constructed across the city with a focus on slum areas. Instructions have been issued to all the ward officers to list the number of toilets required in their respective jurisdiction. A policy is being prepared for round-the-clock cleaning and maintenance of the existing toilets.

The BMC announced that a policy-level change would be taken up to fast-track release of compensation to project affected persons during constructions of public toilets and dispensaries.

The dispensaries, which are called ‘Hinduhridayasamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Health Centres’, were announced in the civic budget presented in March. The initial plan was to have 100 such centres to boost the healthcare at the primary level. About 52 dispensaries were made operational on November 17 after an inauguration by Shinde.

Ravi Raja, former leader of opposition in the BMC, said this seems to be the longest press release in the last two-and-a-half years of the commissioner being in the office.

“This is all an eyewash before the BMC elections. The commissioner needs to first repair the existing clinics and then talk about new ones. We have been raising our voice to illuminate the slum areas all these years but nothing has happened. It is good that they are appointing 5,000 cleaners. We hope these things are really implemented on ground,” he said.

Earlier this week, 94 former civic corporators, including Raja and former mayor Kishori Pednekar, had written to Shinde about fiscal mismanagement, and lack of accountability and transparency in the civic body. A major concern was the lack of transparency in non-budget expenditure by Chahal who is currently functioning as an administrator and whose writ currently runs unchallenged.