Rs 50 lakh for Andheri fishing village that isn’t
The municipality has made a budget provision of Rs 50 lakh to upgrade basic amenities at a koliwada (fishing village) at Four Bungalows in Andheri. The trouble is, there is no koliwada at Four Bungalows, Andheri.
The municipality has made a budget provision of Rs 50 lakh to upgrade basic amenities at a koliwada (fishing village) at Four Bungalows in Andheri. The trouble is, there is no koliwada at Four Bungalows, Andheri.
Yashodhar Phanse, Shiv Sena corporator and chairman of the civic Improvement Committee, pointed this out, saying this ward, which he represents, does not have a single koliwada.
The civic administration, in its 2009-10 budget, has set aside Rs 50 lakh to improve basic services like roads, footpaths, sewage lines and storm water drains at a koliwada located in ward 55, which covers Swami Samarth Nagar in the Four Bungalows area.
Phanse told Hindustan Times: “There is no koliwada in my ward. If there is a budget provision, it must be diverted to the development of gardens and recreation grounds in my ward.”
He said he plans to table a proposal to this effect before the standing committee. “I will check, but I don’t think there is anything suspicious. The provision will be transferred to the other purpose (gardens, grounds) instead of the koliwada,” said Anil Diggikar, additional municipal commissioner (Finance).
“This is just an indicative example. Civic contractors are known to put up letters to get such a budget provision, and get work done using a corporator’s letterhead,” said a civic official on condition of anonymity.
