BMC panel passes proposals worth Rs 1,500 crore in 30 mins

Mumbai: With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations (BMC) polls of 2017 inching closer, the civic standing committee chaired by Shiv Sena corporator Yashodhar Phanse passed proposals worth Rs 1,500 crore within 30 minutes on Wednesday afternoon. Originally, 63 proposals were to be tabled before the standing committee on Wednesday, with projects amounting to Rs 1,013 crore. While this set of proposals was passed within the first 20 minutes, an additional bunch of projects was brought in before the committee in the last minute. These were then passed within the next 15 minutes.  

Last week, the standing committee approved 71 proposals amounting to a total cost of Rs 1,000 crore. Mr Phanse said, “We are hurrying with the proposals and passing so many of them because the work needs to be done on priority. Once the election code of conduct sets in, we will not be able to sanction any new projects. Besides by February, the standing committee will not be there to sanction projects that need attention by March, such as nullah desilting.”

Some of the main projects that were included in the proposals tabled before the committee this week are appointing contractors for repair and maintenance of bridges, roads, desilting of nullahs, distribution of items to schoolchildren, and the proposal for appointing contractors for reconstruction of the 148 year old Carnac bridge over the railway lines between CST and Masjid railway stations.

The BMC planned the demolition and reconstruction of the bridge in January this year. However, it floated tenders to appoint a contractor for reconstruction of the bridge only in the first week of November. The proposal costs Rs 65 crore and was passed by the committee on Wednesday. The Central railways will now demolish the Carnac Bridge, which is part of the plan to demolish a total of four bridges, including the iconic Hancock bridge that was pulled down in December last year.