Chahal dismisses charges of favouritism on BMC fund allocation

Shiv Sena (UBT) alleged injustice meted out to other corporators, who were only allotted funds of ₹1 crore as opposed to BJP corporators’ ₹3 crore each.

Mumbai: A day after MVA MLAs cried foul about the alleged preferential treatment in the civic budget to 79 former BJP councillors’ wards, former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators also voiced their indignation to municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal. The corporators, including former mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar and former leader of the House Vishaka Raut, met Chahal on Wednesday to bring to his notice the alleged injustice meted out to other corporators, who were only allotted funds of ₹1 crore as opposed to BJP corporators’ ₹3 crore each.

Chahal, when contacted by HT, dismissed the allegations of favouritism. “This talk of extra fund allocation to 79 ‘BJP wards’ is arbitrary and senseless,” he said. “The funds are just a notional allocation, and they are earmarked for wards. If some other party corporator wins a ‘BJP ward’ in the forthcoming elections, the money will go to him or her. And if elections are not held till March 31, the allocation will just lapse.” (HT PHOTO)

Sachin Padwal, former Sena (UBT) corporator told HT that Chahal asked them to submit a letter, which they did. “He told us that the budget would be finalised by February 28, and before that, he would discuss the issue with other officials and find a solution,” he said. Added Raut, “The civic chief said he would review the budgetary allocations. I think he had a positive inclination.”

Chahal, when contacted by HT, dismissed the allegations of favouritism. “This talk of extra fund allocation to 79 ‘BJP wards’ is arbitrary and senseless,” he said. “The funds are just a notional allocation, and they are earmarked for wards. If some other party corporator wins a ‘BJP ward’ in the forthcoming elections, the money will go to him or her. And if elections are not held till March 31, the allocation will just lapse.”

When asked how the allocations were made in the first place when there were no sitting corporators as their term ended in March last year, Chahal said, “There is something called the corporators’ fund, which has existed for the last 50 years. The amount in it is roughly ₹700 crore, of which we have made a token allocation of approximately ₹250 to 300 crore. When an elected body comes to power, it has every right to change it.”

The BMC had earlier clarified that the funds were allocated after the BJP’s former group leader Prabhakar Shinde on January 23 wrote to the civic body, asking for a ₹3 crore provision in the 77 wards besides two wards of former nominated corporators. The civic body added that the other 150 wards did not submit any such letter “and yet a provision of ₹150 crore was made for them”.

Contesting this, Congressman Ravi Raja, former leader of the Opposition, tweeted on Thursday, ‘There is clear discrimination in fund allocation by @mybmc. Lion’s share is given to BJP and on the top of this BMC chief is saying that no letters received from any other group leader other than BJP is not true at all.’ (sic)

Shinde, when questioned, told Hindustan Times that his corporators wanted funds for development works in their wards. “I submitted a letter and the administration agreed,” he said. “What can we do if others didn’t bother to give letters? When the Shiv Sena was in power, its corporators got the lion’s share of funds. They were 84 and we were 82 councillors, and they used to get 73 percent while we got only 17 percent. They looted with both hands then.”

Raja, on his part, claimed that Prabhakar Shinde had submitted the letter because he was asked to by the civic chief. “As per the rule, ex-councillors cannot be given any funds,” he said. “Chahal is acting unconstitutionally and against the MMC Act. He can give funds to the administrative wards but he cannot make budgetary provisions for former councillors’ wards. How can he make provisions for specific ward numbers, and that too only BJP wards?”