Indian Express 10.06.2010
MMRDA doing civic work, it’s a plot to sever city from state: Sena
xpress News Service Tags : sena alleged MMRDA civic work a conspiracy, mumbai Posted: Thu Jun 10 2010, 23:59 hrs
Mumbai: As the Congress-controlled MMRDA ventures into areas such as water distribution and solid waste management, traditionally municipal work, the Shiv Sena has alleged a conspiracy to bypass the Sena-controlled BMC and eventually separate Mumbai from the state.The agenda for Friday’s meeting of the Mumbai Metropolitan Planning Committee, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, includes co-ordination plans on water distribution and solid waste management.
The Sena has threatened to agitate against such projects. MLA Subhash Desai said this indicates the MMRDA plans to take over authority from urban local bodies, particularly the BMC, and render them powerless.
“When the MMRDA was formed it was just a planning authority. Slowly it started doing roads and bridges and then entered transport. Now it is planning to handle solid waste management and even water distribution. All these issues are handled by civic bodies. If the MMRDA handles everything, what is the BMC expected to do?” he said.
Desai has written to Chief Minister Ashok Chavan complaining about the MMRDA.
Desai said the state, through such projects, indirectly plans to make Mumbai a separate entity. “In the last 10 years, phase by phase, the Congress has been clipping the wings of the BMC and its corporators,” he said.
he government dismissed the Sena’s fears. Principal secretary (urban development) T C Benjamin said local bodies and corporators would not be rendered powerless. “The draft development plan for the MMR is a vision document and will comprehensively look into planning issues. The MMPC has 30 elected representatives from all local bodies and councils in the MMR and give them power to have their say,” he said
The government has decided to let the MMRDA build the Shahi and Poshe dams for the Thane civic body and the Pinjal dam for the BMC. Desai said water distribution is a civic subject and a planning authority like MMRDA should not interfere. “If they are building dams today, they will also start distributing in future,” he said.
To tackle disposal of solid waste across the MMR, the MMRDA has zeroed in on sites for composting. “The MMRDA should let at least basic amenities like solid waste management and water distribution remain in the purview of local bodies,” said Desai.
Sena corporator Mangesh Satamkar, also a member of the MMPC, said if the MMRDA wants more authority by handling local body issues it should just dissolve local bodies.
