BJP’s defence of BMC budget bonanza: Shiv Sena did it, too!

All 77 electoral wards, which are BJP strongholds, got Rs 3 crore each and the remaining 150 got Rs 1 crore each

After mid-day's report on Wednesday revealing bias in the provision for funds by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to electoral wards dominated by the BJP, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has threatened to go to court over it. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have justified the provision for fund distribution and claimed that in Shiv Sena's rule, their (BJP's) corporators got fewer funds for their wards.

mid-day reported on Wednesday, that in the civic budget for 2023-24, Municipal Commissioner I S Chahal made provision for 227 electoral wards. Of these, 77 wards which are BJP strongholds, got Rs 3 crore each as funds and the remaining 150 got Rs 1 crore each. The provision was made under the head - Provision for providing various basic civic amenities along with development work. It is mentioned in a civic budget document titled Fund capital 11, General capital budget.

Aaditya Thackeray and Ashish Shelar

BJP City President advocate Ashish Shelar tweeted on Wednesday, "Injustice worth Rs 820 crore was done in past 5 years. Former minister Aaditya Thackeray can come forward for open discussion. Now the former administrator should not claim this is injustice. In the past five years, BJP's 82 corporators faced discrimination in fund distribution. Crores in funds flowed to Mankhurd, Govandi, Mohammad Ali Road, and Malwani. Didn't Mumbaikars live in the 82 BJP corporators' wards?" He added, "The disparity in the allocation of funds till now will end."

Also Read: Mumbai: BMC's brazen bonanza for BJP strongholds

Sena's (UBT) former corporators and former mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar met BMC officials of the Finance Department for information about the provision. Mahadeshwar said, "We are thinking of appealing in court against the provision. How can administrative officials prepare a budget with such bias?" Former corporators Suresh Patil, Haji Halim Khan, Chandrashekhar Vaingankar, and Suhas Wadkar of the Sena (UBT) accompanied Mahadeshwar. "This provision is for the people of each ward and the civic chief discriminated among citizens. The NCP has also thought of moving court about this discrimination. As Shiv Sena (UBT) is a party of MVA, we are with them. Chahal must answer the people why the maximum amount of their money is being allocated to BJP-dominated wards," said Clyde Crasto, NCP, national spokesperson.

Municipal chief I S Chahal. Pic/PTI

Aaditya's tweet on mid-day report

"No sign of any guts to hold elections, but brazen fund allocation, in absence of publicly elected Corporators. The BMC administrator will be remembered by history as one who initiated the end of democracy with such use of power and misused Mumbai's money for political masters," former minister Aaditya Thackeray tweeted along with a picture of mid-day's report on Wednesday.

"The former group leader of the BJP had submitted a letter to Commissioner Chahal and requested a provision of Rs 3 crore for each of the electoral wards to provide basic civic amenities along with development works. As per the request letter, a total provision of Rs 231 crore was proposed under the - Provision for providing various basic civic amenities along with development works. However, for the remaining 150 constituencies for which no letter was received from any former group leaders, still a provision of Rs 150 crore and another Rs 14 crore was proposed by the administration. The budget estimate is expected to be approved by March 31 at the administrators' level. If required it is also possible to modify the budgetary provision," the BMC has said in its official statement to mid-day's report.

227
No. of electoral wards in city