Corporators across party lines came down heavily on the civic administration for pushing and pressurising them to pass contracts worth crores but not doing anything about them. Corporators were speaking at the standing committee meeting held on Monday where they slammed the administration for passing projects worth Rs 2,500 crore in a hurry before the model code of conduct could set in. The model code of conduct set in from March 10.
Corporators said that more than half of the work has not even been started with work orders yet to be out. A number of projects that were passed included those related to preparing the roads for the monsoon season. They also said that not taking up projects on monsoon preparedness in time will make the civic body face flak from the common public as, in case of any untoward incident, it will be hauled up.
Among the projects that were cleared in the first week of March were 60 proposals worth Rs 550 crore (cleared on March 5), 65 proposals worth Rs 1,010 crores (cleared on March 8), and projects worth Rs 600 crore cleared on March 9.
A week prior to that, the BMC's standing committee sanctioned projects worth Rs 500 crore in a similar fashion. Generally, there is only one meeting in a week which clears 20 to 25 proposals worth Rs 100 to 250 crore. However, the BMC also holds special meetings.
"But even after working on and sanctioning so many proposals, mainly on roads or repair of schools, cleaning of stormwater drains, desilting of nullahs, half of the projects have not been taken up yet," alleged Abhijeet Samant, a corporator from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The administration cannot give work orders once the code of conduct sets in. Samant further said, "The administration had an idea about the model code of conduct and its requirements. Because of their lethargy, the work of monsoon preparedness gets affected. Instead of getting the work done by contractors, the corporation will be spending money to maintain them during monsoons."
Rais Shaikh, a corporator representing the Samajwadi Party said, "Repairwork of schools can be done only during the summer vacation, but the administration didn't show any urgency to give work orders before the model code of conduct set in. The work has now been halted."
Additional Commissioner Abasaheb Jarhad admitted that some of the work has not been started. "We tried hard to give work orders before the model code of conduct came into effect. But, even after the proposals were sanctioned in the standing committee, the other processes couldn't be completed before the code of conduct set in," said Jarhad.
CLEARANCES GRANTED
- Among the projects that were cleared in the first week of March were 60 proposals worth Rs 550 cr, 65 worth Rs 1,010 cr, and projects worth Rs 600 crore
- A week prior to that, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s standing committee sanctioned projects worth Rs 500 crore in a similar fashion
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