BMC approves 85 proposals worth ₹1,000 crore

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s standing committee on Wednesday passed 85 proposals worth over ₹1,000 crore out of the total over 180 proposals of more than ₹2,300 crore

Mumbai The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s standing committee on Wednesday passed 85 proposals worth over ₹1,000 crore out of the total over 180 proposals of more than ₹2,300 crore.

Among those passed, a majority were of ward level civic works, post facto emergency expenditure during Covid, followed by variation for several projects like Hancock Bridge and the Ghatkopar Mankhurd Link Road (HT File)

Among those passed, a majority were of ward level civic works, post facto emergency expenditure during Covid, followed by variation for several projects like Hancock Bridge and the Ghatkopar Mankhurd Link Road flyover.

The proposals were cleared in an hour. However, more than half or 95 out of the total 180 proposals were held back by the Shiv Sena-headed standing committee. Several projects relating to the development and civic works like trenching, desilting, road, bridges repair and maintenance works were held back.

Further, the standing committee members on Wednesday opposed the proposal of administration to approve the ₹19 crore cost escalation project of the GMLR project. Corporators from across the party including BJP, Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP). Corporators said the flyover is not open for heavy vehicles and two wheelers and also the surface of the flyover is not good. However, the standing committee passed the project citing the increased cost is towards payment of Goods Services Tax (GST) that was not taken into account while awarding the contract five years ago.

In terms of Covid-19 proposals, post facto approval for around ₹1,000 crore was also approved followed by a few proposals regarding human resource appointments, hospital annual maintenance projects etc. Along with this, one proposal to reserve ₹4,000 crore as “special project fund” to ensure that no mega development projects in the city face a financial crunch. The money will also be used on rejuvenation works near Mithi, Poisar and Dahisar rivers as well as on storm water pumping stations followed by for Covid-19 infrastructure.

Yashwant Jadhav, Shiv Sena Corporator and standing committee chairman said, “Several proposals were held back on Wednesday considering the volume all members would not have got the time to speak on them. Hence, the pending proposals will be cleared on Monday, which will be the last standing committee.” The tenure of the elected corporators in 2017 ends on March 07, 2022.

Meanwhile, the BJP staged a protest in the standing committee on Wednesday alleging corruption in the approvals given to the proposals in the standing committee.