15 December,2015 10:15 PM IST | | Varun Singh
They all cried hoarse, that how with the Smart City proposal, the city of Mumbai will be taken away from BMC. Even on Tuesday, in the house of the BMC, MNS claimed that it was the first to raise the objection and then Shiv Sena imitated them. However, they both supported it and the Smart City proposal was sent to the central government.
They all cried hoarse, that how with the Smart City proposal, the city of Mumbai will be taken away from BMC. Even on Tuesday, in the house of the BMC, MNS claimed that it was the first to raise the objection and then Shiv Sena imitated them. However, they both supported it and the Smart City proposal was sent to the central government.
MNS leader, Sandip Deshpande, while raising his party's suggestions in the proposed Smart City proposal in the BMC house claimed that, the Shiv Sena imitated his party leader Raj Thackeray. He said, "It was Raj Thackeray who had first opposed the Smart City proposal. Then Sena copied them and via Saamana printed an editorial on it."
However, the Sena immediately cried foul over this allegation. Sunil Prabhu an MLA now, and former Mayor, who had come down from Nagpur, where the assembly is in process, to especially talk on the Smart City proposal said, "We do not copy anyone. There's a Sena style and everyone knows about it."
What was not very expected that, the Sena which had criticized the Smart City proposal, gave a total 14 suggestions, which included things like, the Special Purpose Vehicle, to be created under smart city shall be headed by the Mayor. The Mayor shall have the veto, of the 60 lakh jobs that will be created, 80 per cent be reserved for son of the soil and if any of the suggestions isn't accepted then their support shall be considered withdrawn.
Even the MNS, which wasn't ready to support the proposal finally supported it, and made some suggestions. The suggestions were that WiFi spots be made available for free and ducting shall be made proper in the city so that the utilities going beneath the road be accommodated here and every time the roads aren't dug for maintenance purposes.
The Shiv Sena, BJP and MNS supported the proposal and it was sent to the central government before 5.30 pm, the deadline to participate in the Smart City project of the central government. S Srinivas, additional municipal commissioner, said, "The format is already ready, the suggestions made in the house will be added to it and it will be mailed to the Centre."
Meanwhile, Congress, Samajwadi Party and NCP opposed the proposal. Rais Shaikh, group leader of the SP, in BMC, said, "The Sena used all our objections in the last so many days and presented as their suggestions. We have opposed the Smart City proposal, as when we read it in detail its not good for the city."
Ratna Mahale, NCP corporator, who was to speak at the BMC, claimed that, the Sena-BJP got the proposal at the last moment in the house. "We weren't allowed to raise our points we even had informed the mayor that we want to speak on the issue, but then we weren't allowed and hence we opposed the proposal."
Sunil Prabhu, comes as saviour for Sena. At the last moment, Shiv Sena MLA and former Mayor, who is also a corporator was asked to cancel his visit to Nagpur, where the state assembly house is in process. "The Sena is in majority and has more than 70-corproators, but still had to depend on Prabhu and get him at the last minute to speak on it, speaks for itself," said Deshpande. Even Pravin Chedda, of Congress took a dig at Sena bringing in Prabhu, he said, "It was Prabhu who could sail Sena through the smart city issue."
