BEST needs administrator, else will have to shut, says Ajoy Mehta

Mumbai: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief Ajoy Mehta has cautioned that the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking will shut down if harsh decisions are not taken to arrest its downslide.

Mr Mehta has proposed to appoint an independent administrator to control the affairs of crisis-ridden BEST. However, the proposal was met with stiff resistance from BMC corporators. Raising the issue in the BMC House, Anil Kokil, BEST committee chairman, demanded that the administration should make its stand clear on the requirement of an administrator.

Senior BJP corporator Prabhakar Shinde said that this was like violating the rights of corporators, who have been elected by the people.

Oppositon leader Ravi Raja made a scathing attack on the civic administration over the move. He said, “There is already an IAS officer, who is working as BEST’s general manager. Then why is another administrator needed? It is the officials who have ruined the BEST with their haphazard decisions.”

In reply, Mr Mehta made it clear that an administrator is needed to look after BEST and an amendment would be required to be made in the Mumbai municipal corporation act for their appointment. “This is just a proposal and will be presented before the BMC house who will take the final call on it,” said Mehta.