Ahead of the imposition of the model code of conduct before the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls in February 2017, its standing committee cleared 97 work proposals worth Rs 1,500 crore on Wednesday.
According to reports, this is the second consecutive week where proposals over Rs 1,000 crore have been approved. Last week, 71 proposals of Rs 1,100 crore were cleared by the BMC’s administrative wing.
A few members raised concerns that the decisions were taken without holding much discussion. They blame the civic body’s administration for the delay in passing various development projects and thus, the visible haste.
The standing committee meet is held every week and an average of 30 proposals are usually tabled.
Shiv Sena’s Yashodhar Phanse, who is the standing committee’s chairman, said: “A few proposals were delayed by seven to eight months. We even discussed if the administration had deliberately put such a large number of proposals for us to clear to put us in bad light.”
MNS corporator Sandeep Deshpande said, “The BMC administration tabled a Rs 15-crore resurfacing proposal for a flyover that we thought was a huge amount. There were other similar proposals, but we didn't get enough time to study and discuss them. Also, how much can one debate in a single meeting,”
Once the code of conduct is announced, probably in mid- January, no financial calls can be made and thus, such swiftness was witnessed in clearing the proposals.
Plus, the development projects may have been cleared with an eye on the elections.
(With inputs from Times of India and DNA)
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