Mumbai: As the ex-corporators of opposition parties struggle to find an office space at the BMC headquarters, the Congress has carved out a space for their party leaders at the Mumbai Region Congress Committee office.
Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan near Azad Maidan is the new address for Congress ex-corporators from where they will keep an eye on the civic body's works.
Major political parties' offices sealed by BMC following scuffle
The party offices of Shiv Sena, Congress, BJP, NCP, and Samajwadi Party were sealed by the BMC following a scuffle between the two rival factions of the Shiv Sena in December 2022. The grand old party's move is to stay on par with the BJP, whose former corporators have the privilege of accessing the recently-opened office of Mumbai suburban guardian minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha at the BMC HQ.
Amid much hue and cry from opposition, the BMC administrator allotted an office on the first floor of the old building to Lodha in July. The BJP handles several civic issues through this office. The five-year term of the elected corporators ended on March 7, 2022, but the elections for India's richest municipal corporation are yet to be conducted. Hence, there are no sitting corporators. Currently, the BMC is run by Iqbal Singh Chahal, who has been appointed an administrator by the state government.
Congress opposes Malabar Hill Reservoir project
Meanwhile, Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad on Wednesday afternoon conducted a meeting at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan over the issue of axing trees for reconstructing a reservoir at Malabar Hill. “Demolishing a historical park such as the Hanging Gardens is not the solution. Moreover, in the process, more than 300 trees will be hacked. If only a reservoir is to be created, other places can certainly be found for it,” said Gaikwad. It seems that a tender game is in the offing, which will start by the proposal for demolishing the garden, then increasing the capacity of the reservoir followed by re-building the garden. The BMC seems to be more interested in that. The corporation should reconsider the project's ramifications, she added. Lodha had conducted a public hearing on the reconstruction of Malabar Hill reservoir on Tuesday evening.
