Under fire, civic chief falls ill

Municipal Commissioner Swadheen Kshatriya, who is under fire from the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party combines, fell ill while on duty on Tuesday.

Municipal Commissioner Swadheen Kshatriya, who is under fire from the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party combines, fell ill while on duty on Tuesday.

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This happened a little before his meeting with employees’ unions to discuss pay revisions.

Baba Kadam, the Sena union leader Kshatriya was scheduled to meet, said: “The meeting was postponed by a day as Kshatriya was unwell. Civic officials called for a doctor.”

Last Wednesday, Kshatriya underwent a check-up at Nair Hospital as he was suffering from cold and fever and was advised rest. He was unavailable for comment.

A Mumbai Congress delegation led by Kripashankar Singh met Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Monday in New Delhi and alleged that Kshatriya was favouring the Sena-BJP. Upendra Doshi, a Congress corporator who was part of the delegation, said: “We demanded Kshatriya’s transfer.”

The Sena-BJP too targeted Kshatriya for not submitting the civic balance sheet for the last three years. Sena leader Sunil Prabhu and BJP leader Ashish Shelar wrote to Mayor Shraddha Jadhav asking for a special general body meeting to discuss the issue.

“We have often pointed out that the balance sheets are pending. Kshatriya should explain how the taxpayers’ money was utilised,” they wrote.