16 December,2014 06:30 AM IST | | Laxman Singh
Flouting a rule that says a government car should be phased out only after 10 yrs, BMC has been on a car-buying spree; 4 cars were bought in 4 years in Rahul Shewale's tenure alone
BMC, car-buying spree, flouting norms, Mumbai news, Standing Committee chairman, Rahul Shewale, Mumbai, Yashodhar Phanse
While you dodge potholes, face water shortages and wonder why precious little is being done to make things better, the BMC has been busy buying its Standing Committee chairman a swanky new car every year, with your money.
Current Standing Committee chairman Yashodhar Phanse will no longer have to travel in this Scorpio as he will be getting a spanking new one this week.
In the past six years, the civic body has bought six new cars for the Standing Committee chairman - an average of one car every year - despite a state government rule clearly stating that a government car should be phased out only after it is 10 years old and has run for 2.40 lakh km.
And, with five sedans and an SUV, these are not your entry-level cars either. The six cars on the list are Mahindra Logan, Tata Manza, Fiat Lenia, Maruti Swift Dzire, Toyota Etios and now a Mahindra Scorpio.
The car being used by Yashodhar Phanse currently and (inset) former Standing Committee Chairman Rahul Shewale
According to information accessed by mid-day, the cars have been changed very quickly since 2008, and most of them were bought during the tenure of Standing Committee Chairman Rahul Shewale, who took over in 2010 and gave up the post after being elected a Member of Parliament this year. Four cars were bought for him in his four years in office and an official said he got the Swift Dzire changed in just six months, claiming he "did not like it".
New man, new car
The last car used by Shewale was the Etios, which cost Rs 5.5 lakh. It was damaged earlier this year and has been in a garage since April. His successor, the current chairman Yashodhar Phanse, has been using a Mahindra Scorpio which was purchased in 2007 and has clocked around 1.5 lakh km.
Despite the car not meeting the 10-year or 2.5 lakh-km criteria, the BMC has bought a shiny new Scorpio for Phanse, which has set it back by R8 lakh and is expected to be handed over to him this week. Interestingly, the Scorpio was bought for the chairman without tabling a proposal in front of his own committee. BMC rules state that any proposal worth more than Rs 5 lakh should be sent to the Standing Committee for approval.
