Mira-Bhayandar: BJP-led proposals worth ₹618 crore towards development projects scrapped

In a major jolt to the BJP, the state government’s urban development department (UDD) has scrapped the resolution passed by the erstwhile general body in the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) allowing additional discretionary development funds.

MBMC chief- Dilip Dhole had sought cancellation of proposals worth over ₹618 crore for 114 development projects which were approved in March, 2022, by the BJP on the virtue of its majority in the general body.

This comes at a time when the elections to the civic body are expected to be held later this year. The five-year term of the BJP-led MBMC ended in August, 2022.

Discretionary development funds

Rules mandate allotment of not more than two per cent of the civic body’s total revenue is allotted to municipal corporators for local area development. However, throwing the rule books to the wind, allocations amounting to ₹73 crore for 95 elected representatives had been earmarked towards discretionary development funds in last year’s budget.

Annual ward development funds

This is apart from the annual ward development funds allocated to each corporator. Leading the pack of office-bearers is Mayor with ₹4.5 crore and deputy mayor with ₹4 crore, followed by standing committee chairman (₹3.5 crore), leader of the house (₹1.5 crore), leader of the opposition (₹1 crore) and remaining corporators with a total of ₹25 crore at their discretion.

Setting a precedent, the municipal commissioner in his capacity as administrator had significantly trimmed the annual ward development funds from ₹25 crore to ₹16 crore allocated to corporators in the annual budget for the current fiscal. Notably, the State Election Commission (SEC) had earlier restrained the MBMC from utilising the discretionary funds.