Panvel: A proposal seeking Rs 47 crore for manpower and machinery required for anti-encroachment operations over three years will be placed before the Panvel Municipal Corporation's general body for the third time on October 23. The proposal has triggered debate over the need for such a substantial expenditure when illegal encroachments continue to be reported across the civic area.
The proposal was first deferred on April 24 and was subsequently tabled at the general body meeting on October 6, where it was again postponed following objections over the proposed expenditure.
Manpower deployment and proposed expenditure
The civic administration had initially deployed 111 additional contractual workers for anti-encroachment operations for three months, around four years ago. The additional manpower was repeatedly extended in view of the need for continued action, resulting in expenditure running into lakhs of rupees over two years.
The corporation currently has 64 contractual workers from its original workforce and 111 workers engaged on a temporary basis, taking the total to 175. Citing the need for adequate manpower and machinery to sustain anti-encroachment drives, the administration prepared a proposal worth Rs 47 crore for three years.
Objections raised over Rs 47-crore proposal
However, the proposal faced objections at the October 6 meeting, with questions being raised over the rationale for committing such a large amount for three years despite the persistence of encroachments across the municipal limits.
BJP leader and nominated corporator Paresh Thakur submitted a report and raised objections to the proposal, following which it was deferred. The administration had stepped up anti-encroachment operations ahead of the meeting, although the intensity of the drives reportedly declined somewhat during the festive period.
Enforcement practices face scrutiny
The proposed expenditure has also brought the corporation's enforcement practices under scrutiny amid allegations of selective action against encroachments.
Also Watch:
When asked about illegal arches and encroachments in the city, nominated corporator Paresh Thakur did not directly respond to the concerns but described the corporation's anti-encroachment action as satisfactory. His response has prompted further questions over whether the administration is applying its enforcement rules uniformly, particularly in cases involving events associated with the ruling party.
General body to reconsider proposal
The October 23 meeting is expected to determine whether the Rs 47-crore proposal will finally be approved or deferred once again.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
