CM assures Mayor on funds

MAYOR UMA Shashi Sharma?s frenetic efforts to salvage octroi compensation payments bore fruit with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reportedly agreeing not to choke off funds entirely.

MAYOR UMA Shashi Sharma’s frenetic efforts to salvage octroi compensation payments bore fruit with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reportedly agreeing not to choke off funds entirely.

HT Image

Chouhan is learnt to have acceded to the mayoral request for a perpetuation of the status quo in octroi payments during a meeting late on Wednesday evening. The Chief Minister is also said to have promised “all possible assistance” in response for the Mayor’s plea for a sum of Rs 5 crore to repair roads damaged by the recent heavy rains.

The CM also approved the IMC proposal to hike water tax.District in-charge Minister Himmat Kothari, Mayor-in-Council member in-charge of Waterworks Munnalal Yadav and Niranjan Chauhan ‘Guddu’ accompanied the Mayor during the meet that was continuing at the time of going to press.

“The Chief Minister agreed to the plea not to pare octroi compensation any further. He assured the Mayor that he would instructions to this effect to Urban Administration Secretary Jayant Mallya. He also promised to provide the funds demanded by the Mayor for road patchwork and repair,” revealed a close confidante of the Mayor speaking on the phone from Bhopal.

Earlier, the Mayor and her ten-member council spent the better part of the day chasing the Chief Minister. Originally scheduled for 9 am the meet was delayed as district in-charge Minister Himmat Kothari failed to turn up at the appointment.

The Mayor’s team was then made to cool their heels as Chouhan left for Bada Malehra and the entourage finally managed an audience at around 9 pm after the CM returned.