Ravi Raja, former opposition leader in BMC, wrote a letter to Guardian Minister Deepak Kesarkar and BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal and asked to release BMC's funds for his constituency to complete development work. While speaking to the Free Press Journal, Raja asked why cannot he get funds if BJP MLAs and former corporators are getting them.
Opposition parties, including Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress alleged that Chahal and Kesarkar are generously allotting development funds to MLAs citing with the ruling coalition while the duo is stifling flow of money to other legislators. They accused that even some of the ex-corporators have received funds from the civic body, but they are yet to get a single penny.
In the letter, Raja also stated that Nehru Nagar, Indira Nagar, Almeida Compound, Transit Camp, Vijay Nagar, Ambedkar nagar are the areas of slums. People of these areas are suffering from lack of facilities of pathways, sewage water lines, gutters, roads and toilets. In the year 2022-23, work of these areas couldn't be completed because there was no fund available. People of these areas are asking Ravi Raja to resolve the issues. Raja has demanded to make Rs 5 crores fund available for these areas.
"If BJP MLA's and corporators can get money from BMC for the development work then the Guardian Minister and BMC administrator should do something for me. I have received no response from both of them. Why is this favouritism being done?" Raja told FPJ.
The five-year tenure of elected BMC corporators ended on March 7, 2022, after which Chahal became the sole authority responsible for running the civic body's daily affairs. On January 31 this year, he issued a letter to all the 36 MLAs, saying that they should submit proposals seeking development funds to the guardian ministers. The requests will be taken up on the basis of priority, Chahal underlined.
