Ameet Satam asks for cancellation of extra funds to 6 BJP corporators

Six wards in the constituency, all with BJP corporators, were granted a special provision of ₹4 crore each in the BMC budget at the standing committee level

MUMBAI: BJP Mumbai president and MLA Ameet Satam has demanded the cancellation of fund allocations in his Andheri West constituency, which he described as “disproportionate”. Six wards in the constituency, all with BJP corporators, were granted a special provision of ₹4 crore each in the BMC budget at the standing committee level.

Ameet Satam asks for cancellation of extra funds to 6 BJP corporators

Addressing recent media reports of discontent among other BJP corporators, Satam on Monday said, “With regard to media reports regarding allocation of funds to corporators, I wish to clarify that the matter had already come to my notice well before April 16. After carefully reviewing all the relevant information, I wrote a letter to the chairman of the standing committee on April 16 itself.”

Elaborating on his concerns, Satam said, “In my letter, I have clearly stated that the additional funds allocated to certain corporators in the Andheri West assembly constituency appear to be disproportionate. It has come to my attention that in the special provision made in the municipal corporation budget at the standing committee level, a special additional fund provision of ₹4 crore per ward has been made for Wards No 65, 67, 68, 69, 70 and 71. The said provision should be cancelled in the budget provision of the standing committee so that there is balance and equality in the distribution of funds. Therefore, I requested that the excess allocation be withdrawn and that a balanced and equitable distribution of funds be ensured among all corporators.”

Emphasising that the issue was taken up proactively, Satam underscored his commitment to transparency in governance. “It is important to emphasise that this concern was raised proactively, in a timely manner, and through proper official channels,” he said. “My intention has always been to uphold transparency, accountability, and fairness in public fund allocation.”

When questioned, Satam told HT, “The corporators may have pushed for this through representations to the standing committee, but it sets the wrong precedent. It also creates disparity if others have received less. There has been considerable murmuring ever since the issue was reported in the media. I wanted to put all doubts to rest, so I wrote to the standing committee chairman to quell the speculation and cancel this allocation.”