Mumbai: In a bid to find a new space for a corporation hall with enhanced seating capacity and modern technology, the group leaders in the BMC have agreed for a proposal to construct the new hall on the municipal gymkhana plot. The plot is located next to Azad maidan opposite BMC headquarters. However, questions are raised if it will be appropriate to have the new hall outside the historic and heritage BMC building. The proposal will be ready this week to be submitted to the administration.
For this term, the BMC has 227 elected corporators plus 10 nominated corporators, taking the total number of corporators to 237. In the first special meeting of all newly elected 227 corporators for the mayoral election on February 11, saw a chaos in the House, due to lack of space for the corporators to sit. While the BMC administration will now move the statues of the historical figures to make some additional space for corporators, administrative staff and the media to accomodate in the heritage corporation hall in the old BMC building, a brand new corporation hall is required as a long term measure.
"Over the years, the number of corporators in the BMC has increased from 64 to 227, and in the coming decades it is likely to be more than 250. With due respect to the original corporation hall, construction of a new hall is need of the hour," a senior BMC officer said. The corporation hall was built in 1893, and in 132 years considering the city's population, the civic jurisdiction has also expanded. Recently, the BMC also added four new administrative wards.
Leader of the house, BJP corporator Ganesh Khankar said, "The group leaders have agreed for the proposal to have a brand new corporation hall on the municipal gymkhana plot opposite the headquarters. Yes, it will be disheartening to shift from the heritage house, but number of corporators will increase over the years, and BMC also needs a technologically advanced hall, like wireless mics. The proposal will be ready in a couple of days."
The BMC administration was also considering to build a new hall on the seventh floor of the new building, which is currently vacant. However, the space is insufficient for a grand hall, the group leaders say.
Leader of opposition Kishori Pednekar said, "Now the corporators somehow manage to sit. But seeing to future needs a more spacious hall is required. We have agreed on the proposal and I will also be sending a letter to the administration from my side. The present hall has a historic importance, and that needs to be preserved."
Khankar added that the plot is in BMC's possession, and if any clearances or formalities are required, those will be done on due course.
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In the first House held after the mayoral appointment on Monday, mayor Ritu Tawde addressed the house that the administration will respectfully be shifting the statues of historical figures to make more space in the existing house. The arrangement will be made before the next House scheduled on February 24. There are atleast 12 such statues.
For the Monday's general body meeting, the administration had numbered marked the wooden beaches with chalk. The total number of seats come to 221.
Last Friday, the mayor and all the group leaders, along with the building maintenance staff inspected the hall and recieved short term and long term solutions to increase the seating capacity.
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