Opposition leaders in the BMC conducted a mock launch of a mobile application enabling citizens to pay off civic bills on Saturday, after reaching the venue before mayor Sunil Prabhu, who was on his way to inaugurate it. Prabhu had announced the app's release on the eve of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's birthday (July 27).
The leaders said the move was a form of protest against Prabhu's attempts to 'impress his boss (Thackeray)'.
As reported in dna earlier, Prabhu had announced that BMC would soon dedicate the application, MCGM 24X7, to the public.
Opposition leaders informally launched the application an hour-and-a-half before the mayor reached the civic headquarters. "We are not against Uddhavji. We are also not against either him or the mayor launching the application. But the corporation has developed the application through tax-payers' money. And Uddhavji is not a national hero that the app's release will be announced on the eve of his birthday. This seems to be an attempt on part of the mayor to impress his boss (Thackeray)," said Devendra Amberkar, Opposition leader in the BMC, adding that the corporation is not a Shiv Sena shakha (branch).
Amberkar was accompanied by group leaders of the MNS, the NCP and the Samajwadi party, Sandeep Deshpande, Dhananjay Pisal and Rais Shaikh respectively. "For the past two-and-a-half years, the mayor has earned the reputation of seeking claim of somebody else's work. This central government's app, developed with the efforts of a senior civic official, is launched to mark Thackeray's birthday, while the mayor is running away with the credit," said Deshpande.
After the informal launch, the BMC did so formally in the presence of Prabhu. "It is very childish on their part. We have developed the application without spending money. You always look for some auspicious day to launch a service benefiting the public. Uddhavji's birthday is one such a day," said the mayor.
The BMC has claimed the application will reduce 2.5 lakh trips to its citizen facilitation centres (CFCs), which residents visit to pay bills. The app will enable residents to pay water bills presently, and hopefully, to clear property tax dues and license department charges by September and November respectively.
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