Uddhav Thackeray retorts to CM's jibe over BMC works

Mumbai: Days after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis raised questions as to why the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is not doing enough development works despite having huge funds, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray took a dig at the CM saying, “I should thank the BJP because they have stood shoulder to shoulder with us in the last five years. Not a single work would have been carried out without their support. They have a lion’s share in BMC works,” he said during the unveiling ceremony of Prabodhankar Keshav Sitaram Thackeray’s portrait in the BMC general assembly hall.

The CM also inaugurated online registration and renewal system of civic body’s shops and establishment department. Indicating that there is rampant corruption in BMC, Mr Fadnavis last week had said: “Though the BMC has a huge budget, not enough development works has been done in the city”. Irked by this, the Sena had challenged him to conduct an inquiry into the allegations of corruption.

Mr Thackeray said that there is a transparency in the BMC administration. “Transparency is very important and civic chief Ajoy Mehta has effectively brought it in civic administration. You wont find such a clean and transparent administration like the BMC anywhere in the country,” he said. Mr Fadnavis said that the online registration and renewal system of shops and establishment department will improve Mumbai’s world ranking in the ‘Ease of Doing Business’. “The failure to provide gumasta license online was one of the major objections from the World Bank. Now that it is available online,” he said. The BMC portal will also provide majority of civic licenses online. This will keep a check on civic administration and bring transparency, he added.