BJP opposes ₹40-lakh repair work at BMC chief’s bungalow

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has opposed the proposed repair works worth ₹40 lakh for municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal’s official bungalow at Carmichael

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has opposed the proposed repair works worth ₹40 lakh for municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal’s official bungalow at Carmichael Road near Tardeo in south Mumbai. The BJP has said that in the past, too, a lot of money has been spent on repair works and the same should be avoided in the current scenario in view of the fund crunch faced by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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However, BMC administration has said the repair work was proposed months ago but could not start owing to the pandemic.

BMC allots bungalows to the municipal commissioner and the three additional municipal commissioners.

The BMC’s chief’s bungalow is a heritage structure which undergoes repair works from time to time. A BMC official said, “Internal and external repair works were proposed last year during the tenure of former BMC chief Praveen Pardeshi. However, the current chief has made few suggestions, and we have incorporated the same. There is nothing new being proposed.”

BMC has proposed internal works for the BMC chief’s bungalow including renovation of toilet block, internal plumbing works, false ceiling, painting and furniture work.

BJP corporator Vinod Mishra said, “Only a couple of years ago BMC had spent lakhs on repair work during the tenure of former BMC chief Ajoy Mehta, and now repair work is being undertaken again. We understand that there might be some changes that BMC might want, but this is not the correct time. BMC is facing a financial burden and has stopped recruitment. In such a scenario, why is BMC spending on something that can wait for a while?”

Meanwhile, Chahal said, “The roof of the bungalow is covered with plastic sheets held by bamboos, but still there are water leakages at many places. Anyone is free to visit the bungalow and decide if the repairs are necessary or not.”

BMC in a clarification issued on Friday said, “The bungalow is more than 100-years old and is a heritage structure. The administrative approval from the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) has come and the planning for the repair work is ongoing since a year now. During monsoon, the bungalow is prone to water leakage. Due to leakage, there are other problems such as moisture in walls, cracking of walls, frequent deterioration of furniture in the bungalow, dryness in the walls including wooden windows and doors are common. The bungalow has not undergone any major repairs in the past several years, and overall the administrative process for repair and conservation started in the year 2019 itself. Given this, it is clear that there is no fact in the allegation.”