CM asks MMRDA, BMC to sort out deputation issue

BMC Standing Committee Chairman Ravindra Waikar demanded reinstatement of civic employees working on deputation with Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) for over three years.

The demand was made during the bi-annual meeting of MMRDA and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) with Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on Friday, Around 28 top officials and over 100 other BMC employees have reporetedly been on MMRDA deputation for three years.

MMRDA has allegedly ‘borrowed’ about 250 employees from the Irrigation Department for Mithi River project and the Public Works Department  for the road development project, Waikar said.

The chief minister refused to discuss the issue at the meeting. He has asked BMC and MMRDA to sort out the matter between themselves. Waikar said that MMRDA had borrowed even clerks and peons from BMC.

Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Phatak said, “BMC has around 1.2 lakh employees. The issue will be discussed at the meeting between BMC and MMRDA officials on October 6. The chief minister has asked us to reach a decision only after mutual consent,” said Phatak.

MMRDA Joint Project Director (PR) Dilip Kawathkar, however, said that the MMRDA had only six senior officials on deputation from BMC, the rest were on deputation from from Irrigation Department and PWD. “If the BMC insists, the officials will be returned to the corporation. It is a minor administrative issue,” added Kawathkar.