Two who had resigned agree to rejoin BMC’s tree authority

The two expert members of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s tree authority who had resigned two weeks ago, after voting in favour of cutting 2,646trees

The two expert members of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s tree authority who had resigned two weeks ago, after voting in favour of cutting 2,646trees in Aarey Milk Colony to facilitate the construction of the Metro-3 car depot, have agreed to re-join the body.

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One member has taken back the resignation while the other’s resignation has been put on hold.

Shashirekha Sureshkumar, associate professor and head of department of botany, Mithibai College, and Chandrakant Salunkhe, scientist from BARC, had resigned from the tree authority, saying they had not felt heard during the crucial meeting.

Sureshkumar said, “I have not taken back my resignation, but put it on reserve for now. We were asked to reconsider [our] resignation, post which we had put two conditions that the municipal commissioner should publicly clarify that we were not involved in any wrongdoing and allow us to speak in further meetings.” BMC chief Praveen Pardeshi, who also heads the tree authority, said Salunkhe had taken back his resignation.

Salunkhe could not be reached for comment.

NCP, Shiv Sena spar during tree panel meeting

A war of words broke out between Shiv Sena and NCP corporators in Thursday’s tree authority committee meeting after NCP’s Kaptan Malik alleged standing committee chairman Yashwant Jadhav had used foul language during the meeting.

Jadhav refuted the claim and slammed Malik for NCP’s “hypocritical” stand on tree cutting for the Metro-3 car shed. Jadhav said that while NCP leaders protested against the tree cutting, their corporators had supported it.