Mumbai: 'Guardian Minister's Office In BMC Won't Be Closed,' Says Mangal Prabhat Lodha

Asserting that the office is meant for the common people to be able to access various services they require from the BMC, Mumbai Guardian Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, on Friday, said that the guardian minister's office in BMC will not be closed.

Lodha, who was replying to queries raised by Congress MLA Varsha Gaikwad, said, "The BMC offices were open only for the guardian minister till now. We have made efforts to keep them open for the common people. No people's representative is there in the BMC now. Also for every issue people can not rush to the Mantralaya. Hence, we have started an office in BMC headquarters in order to be able to facilitate amenities to the people."

"Office is purely for resolving peoples' grievances"

"What problem do the members have if the people's grievances are being addressed," the minister asked. "The office is purely for resolving peoples' grievances. It is not office of any political party. No political work will be carried out in the office," Lodha told the members of the legislative assembly. The office won't be closed down even though it is opposed by the members, he added.

He also asked, "If the opposition is so much agitated about the office, it must explain in what capacity the then Mumbai Guardian Minister Aslam Sheikh was using the bungalow allotted to Hydraulic engineer?"