BJP, Shiv Sena spar over BMC in Maharashtra assembly

Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis at Vidhan Bhavan on Thursday. Pic/Suresh Karkera

It turned out to be a face-off between Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his predecessor Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday in the legislative assembly over various issues related to the civic poll-bound Mumbai. While Thackeray said his government was committed to saving the city that has been treated as a goose that lays the golden eggs, Fadnavis specifically targeted the Shiv Sena-ruled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) making allegations of corruption in mega projects and COVID-19 mitigation. Thackeray spoke on another motion on affordable housing before Fadnavis kicked off the opposition's customary last-week motion which was participated by both sides.

Will protect Mumbai: CM

Earlier, the CM appreciated his cabinet colleagues for seriously thinking about Mumbai. He said many schemes will give the working class affordable homes. He said his government will protect the city that has been treated as a goose that lays the golden eggs. He said not all schemes in the city depended solely on the state government, but they needed support from the Centre. Thackeray said the railway-owned land was not transferred to the state for Dharavi slum's redevelopment despite paying R800 crore. He added that the Centre owned several land parcels in the city and "we need to think how to use them". He promised to probe the irregularities committed by the developers in the delayed slum rehabilitation projects, saying that the MVA government practised what it had promised to the city.

CM Uddhav Thackeray. File pic

Scams galore: Fadnavis

Fadnavis alleged a scam in the name of conservancy workers and accused the BMC of awarding a contract for running five jumbo COVID centres to a blacklisted company owned by the associates of a party functionary. He said the company was formed four days before winning the contract on forged papers. He said a COVID care centre in Mulund was given to another party functionary's unregistered trust, which, after receiving complaints, was sacked in four months. He accused irregularities in awarding the oxygen plant work to a company that has experience in building cages for a penguin project in a Mumbai zoo. The same company was preferred over top national companies for supplying water purifiers to the BMC schools.

Fadnavis further alleged that the BMC political bosses did not propose to purchase medicines and other healthcare material to be used in the civic hospitals. Poor people buy drugs from outside, he said, adding that the "rulers" in the BMC were more interested in works that don't benefit the people directly but serve their own interests. The opposition leader pointed out how the BMC gave a city developer a huge amount to acquire a disputed land. The ex-CM said the sewage treatment plants' tenders were inflated. He said he was not surprised by the exponential growth in the BMC standing Committee chairman's assets and subsequent Income Tax raids. Samajwadi Party's Rais Sheikh, who is also a BMC corporator, rued the delay in buying medicines for the civic hospitals and wanted the process of desilting the nullahs and rivers to be started immediately, ahead of the monsoon.

Sena's Ravindra Waikar alleged that the opposition party was trying to take all international things away to other states. He defended the party's performance in the BMC during the pandemic. He said accusing everyone in BMC of corruption was unacceptable.

Sena members counter allegations

Sena's Ravindra Waikar alleged that the opposition party was trying to take all international things away to other states. He defended the party's performance in the BMC during the pandemic. He said accusing everyone in BMC of corruption was unacceptable.

Waikar's party colleague Sunil Prabhu dismissed the allegations. He said a company named Highway and its joint venture partner got the work contract as per rules and there were no complaints about their oxygen supply units. He said a firm named Lifeline was blacklisted in Pune after it was awarded a contract in Mumbai. He said the allegation regarding the delay in purchasing medicines was false because the respective hospitals were allowed to buy drugs as per their requirement.