Thane civic chief asks civic body to pass no-confidence vote against him | Mumbai news - Hindustan Times
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Thane civic chief asks civic body to pass no-confidence vote against him

Hindustan Times | By, Mumbai
Feb 21, 2018 10:05 AM IST

Jaiswal, who reportedly has the support of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has faced opposition from the Thane unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a while.

Thane municipal commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal on Tuesday asked the corporation’s general body to pass a vote of no-confidence against him. A no-confidence vote means the state government will have to transfer him.

Jaiswal, who reportedly has the support of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has faced opposition from the Thane unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a while.(HT FILE PHOTO)
Jaiswal, who reportedly has the support of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has faced opposition from the Thane unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a while.(HT FILE PHOTO)

Jaiswal, who reportedly has the support of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has faced opposition from the Thane unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a while.

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On Tuesday, things came to a head when, during the TMC’s general body meeting, a BJP corporator questioned the administration’s action in a certain matter. In response, Jaiswal took to the dais, and said, “There has been increasing mistrust in my functioning in the last few years. A few elements in the civic body are out to defame me. I have no wish to stay in the city as its commissioner.” He said if the government does not issue a transfer order in the next few months, he would go on extended leave.

“The city’s residents have given me my report card,” he added. “If some elected representatives don’t want to work with me, the general body should pass a no-confidence motion against me.”

Jaiswal took charge as TMC commissioner on January 1, 2015. In his three-year tenure, he became popular for initiating and executing developmental projects.

Last November, a video clip emerged showing Jaiswal’s domestic help alleging he molested her. The clip turned out to be fake, and two people were arrested for distributing it.

He said he had planned to go on leave from Tuesday, as both the chief minister as well as the Thane MLA and PWD minister Eknath Shinde were unwilling to transfer him. “But last night, I was assured by a top authority that I would be transferred in the next couple of months. If I am not, I will go on long leave,” Jaiswal said.

Last week, BJP party leader Milind Patankar had drafted a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) opposing a proposal on the agenda of the general body meeting, and pointed fingers at the civic administration’s functioning. He also demanded adjournment of the general body over this issue.

Patankar said, “Instead of playing the emotional card, the Thane commissioner should have responded to the objections we had raised. Thane residents are smart. They know what development has taken place in the city. Much of the development favours developers rather than residents.” Meanwhile, the opposition and Shiv Sena said they will support Jaiswal.

What caused the outburst?

In January this year, the TMC commissioner Sanjeev Jaislwal tabled a proposal to give the police department 14 motorbikes to improve city patrolling. The proposal was rejected by the general body, claiming that the police department has its own funds to buy bikes. Jaiswal re-tabled the proposal in February’s general body meeting, which BJP’s Milind Patankar opposed, saying it is improper to reintroduce a rejected proposal. He questioned the administration’s intent, and asked for an adjournment of the general body over this issue.

Sanjeev Jaiswal joined TMC in January 2015 when the civic body’s coffers were almost empty and it had no money to even pay salaries. In the first few months, Jaiswal focused on increasing the corporation’s revenue by improving recovery and increasing the town planning department’s revenue. He also undertook massive road widening projects in the city and demolished encroachments. He targeted the dance bars, pubs, lodges, and hookah parlours. Jaiswal was instrumental in launching and executing ambitious proposals such as the new Thane railway station, a chowpatty at Parsik Retibunder, Digi Thane, and water transportation in the city.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    I am a special correspondent with Hindustan Times and also the chief of bureau for Thane. I have worked in Thane for over a decade, covering social, civic, infrastructural, political and cultural issues.

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