Fake corporators will soon be in a stick

Politicians belong to a privileged class that many aspire to be a part of. Now, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is gearing up to crack down on pretenders zipping around on Mumbai's streets with stickers intended for corporators adorning their vehicles.

Some things don't stick: The BMC logo on the vehicle of a corporator. Representation Pic

The civic administration has asked each of the 232 councillors (227 elected and 5 nominated) to give details of the vehicle on which he or she will fix the sticker. The list will then be submitted to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to help sieve out the real corporators from the miscreants. The councillors have the benefit of these labels so their vehicles are not towed by traffic police.

The civic body netas can even travel on Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) Road - which is prohibited for the general public - from South Mumbai to Sion. Also, corporators have exemption from paying octroi on all five nakas under BMC jurisdiction.

Complaints received
Mayor Sunil Prabhu has received many complaints regarding bogus stickers and their misuse in recent times. The issue was discussed before the group leaders meeting on February 6 and it was decided that corporators should give particulars of the vehicles on which they will affix the BMC emblem.

The records compiled by the municipal secretary department will be submitted to the RTO.

"I have received numerous complaints from citizens about such stickers being used by people who are not corporators," Prabhu said.

A member of the civic body from the Shiv Sena said on the condition of anonymity that many former councillors haven't returned their signs to BMC and are still using these on their vehicles.

Additional municipal commissioner Mohan Adtani was not available for comments. A civic official, however, said that it is very tricky to recover these labels from former corporators. u00a0