BMC budget 2021-22: Focus on one family's happiness rather than citizens, says BJP

Aaditya Thackeray’s plan for food hubs seems to be taking shape too. Pic/Rane Ashish

With an eye on the election in early 2022, the Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) seems to have focused on highlighting the vision of the party, state Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray in the civic budget declared on Wednesday. While no new projects were introduced, achieving the vision of the Thackeray family seems to be the goal, pointed out opposition party leaders.

While earlier the BMC used to focus on projects for the poor such as toilets for women, Aapli Chikitsa, health card and potable water for all, now it appears to be on the aquarium at Worli, beautification of footpaths and spaces under flyovers. In doing this, the opposition claimed that the civic body has forgotten the poor.

The allocation to improve the aesthetics of the city is about Rs 200 crore. An Aquarium and Marine Research Centre of international standards is to be constructed at Worli Dairy Plot with land and funding assistance from the government of Maharashtra. The BJP claimed it was included in the budget despite being a government project because it is in Worli (Aaditya Thackeray's constituency).

BJP group leader Prabhakar Shinde said, "The budget clearly looks like it is focused on making one party or one family happy rather than the citizens. The BMC should have focused on the entire city's development and not just on one area (Worli)."

Aaditya Thackeray's plan for food hubs seems to be taking shape as the BMC will create Mumbai Street Food Hubs. Iqbal Singh Chahal, municipal commissioner said, "It is to give a major push to upgrade the infrastructure and civic amenities and to improve the aesthetics of the city. The street food hub will also be a major source of employment for 3,331 vendors."

The BMC has also taken up Aaditya Thackeray's project of a flood free city very seriously as it has made heavy provisions for this purpose. A provision of R1,149.74 has been made for SWD under which the flood free city will be achieved.

The BMC also plans to take up a pilot Hybrid Power Project comprising a 20MW HydroElectric Power Plant and an 80MW floating Solar PV Power Project at Middle Vaitarna Dam. It will also set up a Dabbewala Bhavan in Central Mumbai and a provision of Rs 1 crore is proposed for it. Rais Shaikh, Samajwadi Party group leader said, "The BMC has focused on the rich and forgotten the poor and the fundamentals of the budget."