The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) proposal to spend nearly Rs 1.5 crore on replacing the official vehicles of six senior political office-bearers is likely to be withdrawn after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed strong displeasure over the move.
Fadnavis Raps BMC Over Unnecessary Expenditure
Reacting to the proposal, Fadnavis directed the civic body to prioritise public welfare over unnecessary expenditure. “Public money should be spent only on development works. Stop wasteful expenditure and focus on the needs of the people,” the Chief Minister said, as quoted by Zee24 Taas, leading the BMC to think of rolling back the proposal amid mounting criticism. The controversy erupted after the proposal to provide six new Toyota Innova Crysta vehicles for the Deputy Mayor, Leader of the House, Leader of the Opposition and three key committee chairpersons came up during the Standing Committee meeting on July 30. Congress group leader Ashraf Azmi opposed the move, questioning the need to replace the existing Mahindra Scorpio-N SUVs at a time when the civic body is facing financial constraints. He termed the proposal an unnecessary expense and urged the BMC to exercise fiscal discipline. The issue soon snowballed into a political slugfest, with BJP leaders accusing the Opposition of hypocrisy. BJP group leader Ganesh Khankar claimed the proposal had been discussed and approved with the consent of leaders from all political parties before they publicly opposed it. “Going forward, I will ensure that every such proposal carries the signatures of all party leaders before it is approved so that such controversies do not arise,” Khankar said.
Standing Committee Chairman Prabhakar Shinde also defended the proposal, alleging that Opposition members were fully aware of the decision and had agreed to it during discussions. Responding to criticism, Khankar clarified that the BMC had not proposed purchasing the vehicles outright but intended to hire them on a wet lease basis, under which the civic body would bear only the fuel and driver costs. He also called for a uniform vehicle policy, suggesting that all senior elected representatives and officials, except the Mayor and the Municipal Commissioner, should be provided vehicles of the same category.
