Citing alleged injustice and bias against them over the distribution of budgetary funds by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), opposition leaders have approached the court
Citing alleged injustice and bias against them over the distribution of budgetary funds by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), opposition leaders have approached the court.
In March this year, the BJP, which secured the highest majority along with the Republican Party of India (RPI), rules the PMC. On May 11, the PMC standing committee's chairperson, BJP's Murlidhar Mohol, presented the budgetary allocation for Rs 5,912 crore for approval during the general body meeting. Opposing NCP members, who are current corporators, found that BJP corporators were getting Rs 4 to Rs 5 crore each in the respective wards under the name of infrastructure development. However, in other areas where BJP had lost, only Rs 2-3 cr has been allegedly allocated.
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NCP corporators Bhaiyashaheb Jadhav (35), Yogesh Sasane (44) and Mahendra Pathare (36) have filed a petition in the Pune district and session court against the PMC and its standing committee on which the notice has been issued against the party. The hearing has been posted for May 22.
Equal distribution needed
Corporator Bhaiyashaheb Jadhav, a former judicial officer-turned-corporator, said to mid-day, "This is injustice. My area is Kharadi, an upcoming IT centre and an important part of the smart city project. Under the name of education and water management, they have given us only R2-3 crore, which is not enough. There is no provision where only the ruling party should get the highest budgetary allowance.
Corporators Sasane and Pathare said, "This is an eye-opener to all citizens on how the BJP is trying to create a monopoly. This ultimately shows how they are threatening the voters: This is how you will pay if you do not vote for the BJP. We can manage with such amounts in our wards, but we condemn the BJP's cheap moves." They also alleged that they had approached bureaucrats who had been tight-lipped regarding this matter.
BJP alleges foul play
After the hearing on Wednesday, the court issued a noticed to the BJP in the PMC. The matter has been adjourned till Monday. Mohol responded to the allegations, stating, "This is a mischievous act by the NCP as they have nothing to counter our work. Even when NCP was ruling PMC, they never allocated even a crore to other parties. Our party believes in equality and we stand by it. We are sad that instead of discussing this issue with us, they have approached the court. We will explain our side on Monday."
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