Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, & NCP ex-corporators swamp outside commissioner's cabin for BMC's corpus fund

Mumbai: The BMC has kept a corpus fund of Rs. 900 crores for development works across the city. The fund can be claimed by any Member of Parliament (MP), Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) or ex-corporator for specific development works.

However, they will need the final approval of the guardian minister, said the senior civic official. The civic decision has upset the ex-corporators of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The delegation of ex-corporators from ShivSena (UBT), Congress and Nationalist Congress party (NCP) met BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on Monday, and asked for equal distribution of funds among the representatives. 

Use of Corpus fund

Around Rs.3.60 crores of funds is allocated in a budget to every corporator to carry out development works in their respective wards. Currently, there is no elected corporator's body in place and the BMC is under an administrator's rule. So being an election year, the BMC has kept Rs.900 crores for several development works in the city. The ex-corporators of MVA, protested against the BMC's decision on Monday evening.

We will not tolerate discrimination: Shiv Sena (UBT) minister

Former Mayor of Shiv Sena (UBT) Vishwanath Mahadeshwar said, "How can the guardian Minister decide the utilisation of civic funds? The fund should be distributed equally irrespective of party. We will not tolerate any discrimination in distribution of development funds, since we also need to carry out work in our wards. If still, the BMC goes ahead with their plan, then they will have to face an agitation of the ex-corporators." 

Ravi Raja, former Opposition leader of the BMC said, "Instead of giving the power to guardian minister, let the assistant municipal commissioner(AMC) decide about the allocation. The ex-corporators will send their requirement letters of development work in their respective wards to the AMC. Why do you need a guardian minister for it?"

The ex-corporators also protested outside the municipal commissioner's cabin in BMC headquarters on Monday. Meanwhile, the senior civic official clarified that, "The fund will be distributed without any discrimination between former corporator, MLA or even an MP. Any representative who asks for the fund will be allocated the amount for the specific development works in their respective wards or constituency. But the decision of final approval lies with the guardian minister, he added. Earlier on February 17, Shiv Sena's (UBT) former corporators had alleged a preferential treatment in the civic budget to 79 former BJP corporator's wards.