Raj Thackeray meets BMC chief, suggests to collect charges on underground cables and fee on 'outsider' patients

Raj Thackeray at the BMC headquarters on Friday. Pic/Atul Kamble

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Friday met the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief Bhushan Gagrani and suggested to collect charges on underground cables, and fee on 'outsider' patients, reported the PTI.

The Mumbai's civic body should levy utility charges on underground cables belonging to companies owned by Ambani, Adani and others, Raj Thackeray said on Friday, according to the PTI.

IN PHOTOS: Raj Thackeray meets BMC chief at civic headquarters in Mumbai

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Talking to reporters after meeting BMC commissioner-cum-administrator Bhushan Gagrani at the civic headquarters in south Mumbai, Raj Thackeray also sought an additional fee for patients from outside Mumbai and Maharashtra who are getting treated at civic hospitals in the metropolis.

"Why is the civic body not charging these companies of Adani, Ambani and others, especially when the BMC's financial condition is not very good at present? Gagrani has said the state government would take a decision on the matter, since the BMC is under financial strain after income from octroi stopped due to introduction of GST," Raj Thackeray informed, as per the PTI.

Meanwhile, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande said levying of charges on 42 different utilities could generate revenue of Rs 8000-10000 crore for the BMC, the news agency reported.

In a memorandum submitted to Bhushan Gagrani, the Raj Thackeray-led MNS claimed that the civic-run KEM Hospital has a capacity of 2250 beds but more than 10,000 patients are being treated daily, adding that more than 30-35 lakh persons from other states are treated at the facility annually. Due to this, the memorandum said, treatment at government hospitals should be provided only to those with local address on their Aadhaar cards.

"We discussed aspects like different charges and how they could be levied," Raj Thackeray told reporters.

Asked about the civic body's ban on idols made of plaster of Paris (PoP), the MNS chief said that the idol makers must embrace change and switch to environment-friendly clay, as per the PTI.

Raj Thackeray added the pollution caused by PoP is significant.

The BMC had on February 17 issued strict guidelines concerning the granting of permission for erecting Ganesh pandals, according to which, sculptors must follow a January 30 order of the Bombay High Court and the 2020 order of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) banning the making and immersion of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols.

(with PTI inputs)