Sena faces first defeat in Standing Committee

The BMC standing committee has rejected a proposal to provide wooden chairs and tables for teachers in civic schools. The Shiv Sena had planned to get this proposal sanctioned but the BJP opposed it raising the issue of environment concerns and the BJP also got support from other parties. This forced the standing committee chairman to reject this proposal due to lack of majority. It is the first big setback for the ruling party in the new house.

The BMC had invited tender for supply of teakwood 2438 chairs and 1116 tables for its civic school teachers. When the proposal came in the standing committee, BJP group leader Manoj Kotak raised the issue of environment concerns by saying that the BMC appeals to plant trees and save the environment on one hand while on the other it plans to purchase wooden furniture for teachers. He points out the contrast in this proposal. Another BJP corporator, Prabhakar Shinde, urged the committee to reject this proposal. Congress group leader Ravi Raja also echoed the views of BJP corporators while Vidyarthi Singh expressed fear of corruption in the purchase of wooden furniture as its quality cannot be checked.

Ruling Shiv Sena corporator Mangesh Satamkar and Leader of the House Yashwant Jadhav tried to underlined the importance of wooden furniture.

Finally, the proposal was put for voting and all the 14 members of the BJP, Congress, Samajwadi Party and NCP opposed this proposal and voted against it. The proposal could muster support from eight Sena corporators. The outcome of voting forced standing committee chairman Ramesh Korgaonkar to reject the proposal for purchase of teakwood chairs and tables for civic schools’ teachers.