The Indian Express 23.05.2013
PCMC corporators approve projects worth Rs 800 cr
The civic general body meeting Monday approved development works worth Rs 800 crore. The nod given by the civic general body, where the NCP enjoys a majority, comes as a welcome relief to the Shrikar Pardeshi-led administration, which has been at loggerheads with the corporators.
Sunday, Ajit Pawar convened a meeting of PCMC corporators in the city, where NCP corporators and office-bearers asked Pawar to transfer Pardeshi who, they said, was taking anti-people decisions that could prove costly to the party in the coming elections. Corporators were also critical of his style of functioning who, they said, refuses to give them a patient hearing on civic matters. Top NCP leaders said Pawar sought a couple more months for Pardeshi.
Pawar is believed to have said that Pardeshi will be transferred soon as his action has swung the mood against the NCP in Pimpri-Chinchwad. "I know there is anger among people, officials and politicians, and a few activists are supporting him. If they raise the pitch, it will show NCP in poor light. So let's wait for some time...," Pawar reportedly told NCP corporators.
This calmed the nerves of the agitated NCP corporators who wasted no time in approving development works worth Rs 800 crore.
The actual proposals sanctioned was Rs 2,100 crore, which include payment of salaries to employees. However, Pardeshi was not present at Monday's civic general body where development works were sanctioned. Mayor Vaishali Bankar presided over the meeting. Officials said the corporators showed their contempt for Pardeshi as they have in the past refused to approve administrative proposals.
Since the civic chief began his drive against illegal constructions in June last year, the differences between corporators and the administration have kept widening. The corporators have repeatedly adjourned civic general body meetings on this
issue. Pardeshi on his part showed his dislike for the way corporators have stalled civic general body meetings. The NCP-dominated standing committee, which is the nerve centre of the civic body, sat on nearly 300 files. The civic chief had to invoke special powers to get them cleared.
In Monday's meeting, NCP corporator Prashant Shitole said, "We want to congratulate the civic chief for placing the proposals before the civic general body meeting on the directives of the NCP leader Ajit Pawar." NCP unit president Yogesh Behl said, "The issue of development works had been placed before the civic general body meeting. We have been telling the commissioner, but he refused to agree....its now up to the administration to complete it."
