The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has terminated the contract for running Citizens Facilitation Centres across its 24 ward offices and the headquarters, thus throwing the operations at ward offices out of gear. The centres see hundreds of people turning up every day to pay their license fees or collect death or birth certificates. However, on Monday, there was complete chaos.

According to corporators, the civic corporation's administration failed to plan in advance before taking such a drastic measure as there were just two staffers from BMC's finance department manning the centres on Monday. Those who wanted to renew their licenses were either turned back or were asked to wait for hours. The centres are where citizens pay water bills, property tax and other such services.