Prithviraj Chavan lends an ear to SENA-BJP MLAs, but meeting takes on an informal Air as government officials do a disappearing act
Prithviraj Chavan lends an ear to Sena-BJP MLAs, but meeting takes on an informal air as government officials do a disappearing actu00a0
What was supposed to be a serious meeting between Chief Minister Prithiviraj Chavan and his colleagues from the opposition parties, was reduced to an informal chat between them yesterday as government officials did a disappearing act. After ruling party MLAs and MLCs held two meetings with the Chief Minister to air their demands and grievances recently, legislators and corporators from opposition parties also wanted a date with Chavan. Their wish was granted, but the bureaucrats played spoilsport. 
Speak up, I am listening: Chief Minister Prithiviraj Chavanu00a0gave a
patient hearing to a delegation of 12 MLAs from opposition parties at
Mantralaya yesterday. File Pic
The Chief Minister gave a patient hearing to 12 legislators who raised several issues, including redevelopment of slums, old and dilapidated buildings, BDD chawls, Mhada colonies with additional FSI for it. They also raised issues related with Salt Pan land, civic amenities, city and suburban collectorates. After hearing their grievances, Chavan said he would look into the matter and deccide which policies to implement. Except for the CM's principal secretary, Ajitkumar Jain, no official was present at the meeting. Reacting to the CM's assurance, a senior government official said, in the absence of bureaucrats such meetings become an informal affair as no minutes are prepared. Thus, there is nothing binding on the government to keep promises it makes during such meetings.
On the contrary, when Congress-NCP MLAs held a meeting with the CM, officials from housing, urban development, and the BMC were present. And minutes of the meeting were circulated to the departments concerned for implementation. If Shiv Sena's Subhash Desai, Ramdas Kadam, Diwakar Raote, Vinod Ghosalkar, Dipak Sawant, Prakash Sawant attended yesterday's meeting, Gopal Shetty, Prakash Mehta, Yogesh Sagar, Mangalprabhat Lodha represented its ally, the BJP. Besides, Bala Nandgaonkar, Shishir Shinde, Pravin Darekar, Nitin Sardesai from the MNS participated in the meeting.
Guardian ministers for the city Jayant Patil and his counterpart from suburban districts Naseem Khan were also present at the meeting. Asked how was the meeting, BJP MLA Prakash Mehta said that the meeting was satisfactory as the CM assured them to look into their demands at the earliest. Among the issues raised by them were redevelopment of old and dilapidated buildings from suburbs on the lines of similar edifices in the island city. Implementation of the policy for hawkers, redevelopment of slums on reserved plots, construction of transparent police beat chowkies and construction of a flyover to connect Vidyavihar east and west.
MNS MLA Bala Nandgaonkar demanded work on the skywalks approved earlier be started immediately. BJP MLA Gopal Shetty demanded speedy decision on domicile certificates to students. According to him, it was unfair to ask students for such a certificate when they are born and bred in the city and have done their schooling here.
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