The Standing Committee’s approval is the only thing preventing the civic body from purchasing brand new cars for its team
If all goes according to plan, the civic body will get itself a brand new set of cars. Next week, once the Standing Committee gives its approval, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will purchase 28 cars for their ward officers, Deputy Municipal Commisioner and the leader of the house, after a gap of seven years.
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One of the new cars will be also given to the Mayor’s assistant, since she had written a letter requesting for the same
In 2007, the BMC had given all ward officers swanky new Mahindra Scorpios. In February this year, the civic body had brought 14 new Swift Dezire cars for the chairpersons of all civic committees, but the leader of house, Trishna Vishwasrao had not accepted the cars since they were not as per her liking.
Different rules for different people
Recently, mid-day published a report about how the BMC has bought six cars in six years for the Standing Committee Chairman — an average of one car a year — while their ward officers have been using the same cars for the past seven years. According to a state government rule, a government car should be phased out only after it has run for 2.40 lakh km and is ten years old. Otherwise, if it is found that the car has major maintenance issues and is costing a lot of money on repairs, then a new car is purchased.
New changes
For the 24 ward officers using the same vehicles that have often undergone a lot of wear and tear, this has been a long wait. According to sources, one of the new cars will be also given to the Mayor’s assistant, since she had written a letter requesting for the same.
All the new 28 cars are Mahindra Scorpio, each costing Rs 8 lakh. Other than the vehicle for the Mayor’s assistant, the cars for the ward officers and a car each for both the DMCs (Deputy Municipal Commissioner), the corporation is also going to provide a new car to Vishwasrao. The proposal of purchasing these 28 cars is expected to come in next week in the Standing Committee for approval. Once the proposal is approved, the civic body will start the process of purchasing the cars.
A source from Solid Waste Management Department told sunday mid-day, “When Mohan Adtani was additional municipal commissioner (AMC), he had directed the department not to phase out any vehicles, unless it completes the rule of 2.40 lakh kilometers and ten years, but when the new AMC, Vikas Kharge took charge, he relaxed the norms to 2 lakh kilometres.”
The Chief Engineer, Solid Waste Management Department, Siraj Ansari was unavailable for comment.
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