Need more funds, not cuts: Corporators

Elected representatives in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) are not happy with the civic administration’s plan of slashing their ward development fund of Rs 1 crore in the upcoming civic budget.

Elected representatives in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) are not happy with the civic administration’s plan of slashing their ward development fund of Rs 1 crore in the upcoming civic budget.

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Since the past few years, the citizens groups have been raising doubts on the utilisation of the fund. The controversy began last year when the administration refused to allocate Rs 1 crore as development fund to 227 corporators each.

With mayor Shraddha Jadhav’s intervention, the administration agreed to allocate the fund on the basis of budget heads for specific works in slum areas such as repair of storm water drain, laying water pipeline, repair of footpath.

Said Jadhav: “The corporator’s fund amount is not sufficient to carry out work in areas such as Antop Hill, which has 90% slums. The civic administration should increase the amount.”

The corporator’s fund should be hiked to Rs75 lakh, while keeping the development fund intact, said Jadhav.

Pravin Chheda, newly elected Congress corporator, said: “The ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance is to be held responsible for this. They don’t have control over the administration.”

Stating that the corporator’s fund should be hiked, Chheda said: “Last year, the administration had allocated budget provision for repair and development of gardens. But the fund has not been used till date. This should be looked into.”