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Not one to give up, BMC chalks out plan to control Byculla museum

Following directions from BMC chief Ajoy Mehta to review the civic body's agreement with the museum trust, the BMC has come up with a set of mechanism through which it will have more operational control over the museum.

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The civic body may not be able to scrap its agreement on Byculla's Bhau Daji Lad (BDL) museum nor oust managing trustee Tasneem Mehta, but it has chalked out a plan to tighten its grip over the museum's functioning.

Following directions from BMC chief Ajoy Mehta to review the civic body's agreement with the museum trust, the BMC has come up with a set of mechanism through which it will have more operational control over the museum.

dna had on Thursday reported that according to the BMC's tripartite agreement on the museum, it can neither terminate the agreement nor oust Mehta on its own. The agreement states that the BMC cannot terminate the agreement 'unilaterally'. According to civic officials, any changes to the agreement, including ousting Mehta can only be done by a committee compromising the municipal commissioner, Mehta herself and the sponsor, which in this case is the Jamanalal Bajaj Foundation. Mehta, whom corporators have cornered, will continue to head the museum's activities till 2023.

"However, staying within the terms of the agreement, we will bring in measures to control the activities. We have proposed that all employees be hired through a panel consisting of BMC officers through public advertisement.

There should be a mechanism of internal audit in tune with guidelines of the accountant general. A gallery register and inventory should be maintained. Similarly, an expert authentication committee should also be formed to keep tab of all the display items," said a senior civic official.

Officials have suggested that the BDL museum adopt the practices that are in place at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya.

"We also want to have a say on the non-museum activities that happen there. An audited list of all artefacts and exhibits should be submitted to the managing committee. All purchases should also be approved by the co-chairman and ratified by the managing committee. We want to ensure that the BMC has more administrative control," the official added.

Mehta had last week told a meeting of civic group leaders that the BMC would soon dissolve the existing trust and set up a new mechanism to run the museum. Mehta had then called for a report on the museum.

Last October, the BMC had scrapped its 12-year-old resolution with the trust amid a row over a proposal to use a Byculla playground for the museum's expansion.

In 2003, a BMC resolution led to a tripartite agreement between the corporation, the Foundation and the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage. The mayor is the trust's chairperson but the museum's day-to-day activities are looked after by Mehta, who is also the museum's honorary director.

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