With Budget 2019-20 two weeks away, civic body is waiting for nod from MIEB, education panel
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) Budget for 2018-17 had put a thrust on beautifying the Bandra Fort and a perspective shift in education in international schools in all civic wards. With the budget for the year 2019-20 hardly two weeks away, the projects are yet to see the light of the day, and most of the promises are undelivered.
During Budget 2018-19, the civic administration had allocated Rs 5 crore for beautification of Bandra Fort precinct. The project included a promenade designed in the form of waves and a cycling track around the fort connecting the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. Beautification of the stretch, which ranges up to 1 km, also includes precinct illumination, setting up a children's play area, providing recreational spaces for senior citizens, planting trees.
However, a 100-metre patch in front of the fort needs to be reclaimed from the coastal line for the cycling track. The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) had asked the BMC to use eco-friendly materials for the same and table the plan at the soonest. Accordingly, H-West ward submitted the plan. “Since the use of cement concrete is not allowed, we will use stones for the reclamation work,” said a civic official. The civic body is expecting to get the approval in a week's time.
On the education front, BMC has proposed to develop 24 international schools affiliated to international board. The project has also been delayed due to paper works. At present, the civic body is waiting for approval from the Maharashtra International Education Board (MIEB). “We have sent a list of 62 schools which can be brought under international curriculum to MIEB which will take a final call,” said Mahesh Palkar, an education officer of BMC, adding around 10-12 schools have already been brought under international board. “We are expecting to start the international curriculum from the coming session. However, a lot depends upon approval,” added Palkar.
The BMC had also proposed to start 35 new schools under the public-private partnership model in the classrooms of schools which have closed on account of poor or zero student strength in Budget 2018-19. However, the proposal is waiting for approval from the education committee of the civic body. Sainath Durge, Yuva Sena leader and member of the committee, said, “The proposal had a lot of lacunae and the body that was supposed to select trust did not have public representatives.”
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