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.

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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).