E-Paper
Congress in attack mode
STORMY SCENES are likely to be witnessed at the IMC General Council meet with the Opposition Congress girding its loins to corner the ruling party on the growing penchant for build-operate-transfer (B-O-T) schemes, the lease renewal of 339, Shivaji Nagar near Indore Rolling Mill and the naming of a garden in Kalani Nagar after RSS ideologue Madhavrao Golwalkar.
STORMY SCENES are likely to be witnessed at the IMC General Council meet with the Opposition Congress girding its loins to corner the ruling party on the growing penchant for build-operate-transfer (B-O-T) schemes, the lease renewal of 339, Shivaji Nagar near Indore Rolling Mill and the naming of a garden in Kalani Nagar after RSS ideologue Madhavrao Golwalkar.
Money, they say, makes the mare go around. Not surprisingly, the Congress has decided to make fiscal burdens imposed on residents the focus of its attack on the IMC.
“Almost all recent projects unveiled by the IMC are to be carried out on a build-operate-transfer (B-O-T) basis. Under this system the contractor bears all expenses. Since its not spending any money how can the Corporation justify taxing residents,” demands to know leader of the Opposition in the IMC Suresh Minda.
“With the growing fondness for B-O-T, residents will be taxed doubly. First, by the Corporation and later by the BOT operator through fees charged on services to recover his costs,” Minda declared. Queried about his party’s plans for Saturday’s meets, Minda said the points listed below would form the core of the Congress’ attack.
B-O-T schemes: Escalators-cum-footbridges on AB and MG Roads, construction of 75 urinals and 25 toilets, 50 stops for the City Bus service and a footbridge near the Kamla Nehru zoo. The reason: If all works are to be carried out on B-O-T why tax residents.
Renting IMC building rooftops to outdoor advertisers: The reason: No monthly rental rates fixed. This means that roofs will be rented out at offered prices. Charges for using public toilets: The reason: Urinals constructed with Rs 2 crore of taxpayers’ money destroyed owing to IMC negligence. Why should residents pay building these anew?
Sister concerns: Congressmen charge that various profitable contracts were handed over to the same firm operating in a different guise. It alleges that M/s Lakshya Media Pvt Ltd, awarded the contract for building 100 toilets and urinals is the same as M/s Lakshya Outdoor, handling the overbridge escalator contract.
Misappropriation: Will demand details of where Rs 5 lakh withdrawn from the Ganesha immersion budgetary head were spent. Library renaming: Opposing the proposal to rename a garden in Kalani Nagar after RSS ideologue Madhavrao Golwalkar.
