Three years after 'study tour' was suspended following criticism, they get nod to visit Ooty, Coorg, Mysore, Dehradun for education purpose
Mayor Kishori Pednekar and Deputy Mayor Suhas Wadkar are separately going to Mount Abu to attend a special training programme being organised by the central government. File pic
Corporators plan to take a short a trip to the hills this winter, but only for the betterment of this city, or so they say. A section of them have proposed that they be sent to hill stations for 'study tours', while the Tree Authority wishes to visit Singapore -- all at public expense.
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Even though Mumbai is known for innovation and use of new technology, the members of the Improvements Committee, want to visit Ooty, Coorg and Mysore to learn about city planning, and people in the Education Committee sought permission to visit Dehradun to gain knowledge from popular schools in the state. The Health Committee sought approval to visit Shanghai in China.
Interestingly, corporators go on 'study tours' only in winters and hill stations are on the top of their list of destinations. The 'study tour' was suspended in 2016 following criticism for spending taxpayers' money on these trips. A few corporators had last year proposed a study tour to a foreign country but cancelled the plan fearing public wrath.
However, members of five committees once again dared to propose the resumption of 'study tours' and some even got the go-ahead on Tuesday during a meeting of the group leaders. While Health Committee's proposal to Shanghai was rejected, Improvements and Education Committees got the nod for their 'study tours'. The group leaders are yet to discuss the Tree Authority's proposal to visit Singapore.
Before 2016, corporators from all the committees, including the Works Committee, Markets and Gardens Committee, and the Law Committee, had taken a trip to the hill stations for the purpose of learning. They submitted reports on their observations, but nothing was concrete enough to implement in the city, said a civic officer.
Meanwhile, Mayor Kishori Pednekar and Deputy Mayor Suhas Wadkar are going to Mount Abu to attend a special training programme on open spaces. The programme is being organised by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
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