Santosh Dhuri, MNS corporator, carried out some work in a Dadar society in the ward of a fellow party worker, Seema Shivalkar, as delimitation might add areas to his constituency
Here’s a case of a corporator doing some work in the ward of one of his fellow party corporators, but all is not as simple as it seems. Santosh Dhuri is an MNS corporator from Dadar, and Seema Shivalkar is an MNS corporator from the neighbouring ward. Fear of delimitation of his ward has made Dhuri enter Shivalkar’s ward and do some work in a residential society. Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena alleges that this work Dhuri carried out could have been done for free, but he involved a contractor and charged the society.
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The hoarding at Pawanchaya Co-op Housing Society claims that the pipeline work has been completed for a minimum amount of Rs 1.40 lakh
A board thanking Dhuri, and displaying the amount spent, has been put up in the Dadar housing society. Many ward areas are set to increase with delimitation on the cards. Dhuri allegedly thought some part of Shivalkar’s ward may be added to his own, hence he is securing his new voter base. Dhuri denied the charge, saying that he did the society work because the public had approached him. Shivalkar claimed she had asked Dhuri to do the work as she was pregnant. Meanwhile, the Sena claims that it was doing work in the adjacent buildings, so the MNS got in fearing that the party will lose support.
Santosh Dhuri, MNS corporator, claims that the society members approached him and hence he got the work done. Pic/Atul Kamble
Shivalkar represents ward number 186 in Dadar, and Dhuri represents ward number 187. A hoarding has come up in Shivalkar’s ward thanking Dhuri for completing the water pipeline work of Pawanchaya Co-op Housing Society. The hoarding claims that the pipeline work has been completed for a minimum amount of Rs 1.40 lakh.
MNS corporator Seema Shivalkar says she was in hospital, so she couldn’t do the pipeline work and asked Santosh Dhuri to intervene
But the Shiv Sena claims that instead of charging money and getting the work done via a contractor, Dhuri should have asked Shivalkar to help and get it done from her BMC corporators’ fund.
“Only because we did work of pipelines in some societies in the Dadar area from the MLA fund, we would have done the same work in this society too and there would have been no burden on the society. But then they approached Dhuri. He should have told them that it’s Shivalkar’s ward and instead of charging the society and getting the work done via a corporator, Dhuri should have done it from Shivalkar’s BMC corporator fund,” said Samadhan Sarvankar, Yuva Sena officer bearer from Dadar.
Dhuri claims that the society members approached him and hence he got the work done as Shivalkar had just delivered a baby. “I know the building is not in my ward, but the society members approached me and hence I did the work. Whenever anyone approaches me for any work I do it; I have done work in many other wards too. Shivalkar just gave birth to a baby and hence I got involved. I know people are talking about delimitation being the reason, but that’s not true,” said Dhuri.
Sarvankar claims that one can understand that Shivalkar was pregnant and hence, couldn’t do it personally, but then her funds haven’t been frozen by BMC and could have been easily released.
Tenant speak
A tenant from the society, who did not want to be named, claims that when people approached Dhuri, he should have told them that they should contact Shivalkar. “We ended up paying R1.40 lakh, while neighbouring societies got it for free under the MLA fund. Dhuri should have advised us to go to Shivalkar instead of he doing the work and we spending the money.”
Secretary of the society, D Pathare, said, “Our corporator is Seema, but most of the people in the society decided that we go to Dhuri and hence we went there. As every one was ready, I had to sign the cheque. We will again hold a meeting and check the work done.”
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