The Times of India             06.01.2014

BMC chief cancels tree authority's Tamil Nadu study tour

MUMBAI: Municipal commissioner Sitaram Kunte has quashed the tree authority committee's plan to visit Tamil Nadu for a study tour saying there is no budget provision for the same.

At least 15 members of the 32-member civic tree authority committee were to tour Tamil Nadu at the end of this month, along with a few civic officials, to study the gardens there. The budget for the study tour was approximately Rs 10 lakh.

But the study tour plan came under fire as Tamil Nadu is not known for its gardens, and also because the committee has not used the Rs 300-crore fund earmarked for looking after gardens and markets in Mumbai.

"Less than 90% funds have been used so far. With only two months left for the fiscal year to end, the budget is going to lapse. The committee should focus on spending the money on developing gardens in the city, instead of touring other states," said a senior civic official.