The Sir Feroz Shah Mehta statue in front of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters completed 100 years on Monday. This statue in front of the Municipal Headquarters in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus area is a special feature of Mumbai. The statue was ceremonially unveiled on 3rd April 1923 after collecting INR 80,000 from community subscription. It has been 100 years since that historic day.
'Lion of Mumbai'
A full-length statue of Sir Feroz Shah Mehta, who has earned an unshakable place in history as the 'Lion of Mumbai' and played an important role in the creation of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act. On that occasion, Additional Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide greeted the statue on behalf of the Municipal Corporation. At that time, the municipal officials were present on the occasion.
The full-length statue of Sir Feroz Shah Mehta at the entrance of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters is the identity of Mumbai. Feroz Shah Merwanji Mehta was born on August 4, 1845 in Mumbai. Feroz Shah Mehta, who was gifted with a brilliant intellect, made the greatest contribution to the creation of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act and laid the foundation for it. The British had to accept their position that there should be a civil administration representing the tax payers and got civil administration representative of the people. Feroz Shah Mehta's ideas were incorporated in the Municipal Corporations Act of 1872 and sowed the seeds of civil liberties. Mehta himself was a member of the council that drafted the Act. He always spoke in favour of the citizens and taxpayers in the discussion of the new municipal law.
'Father of Civil Administration in Mumbai'
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Act is also considered as a model as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation which is considered as a milestone among local self-government bodies in India. In the Municipal Corporation, Sir Feroz Shah Mehta served as Chairman for two consecutive years in 1884-85 and 1885-86, and as President in 1905-06 and again for two years in 1911-1912, making a total of four years as the first citizen of Mumbai. This was the first instance in the history of the Municipal Corporation. All these contributions earned Feroz Shah Mehta the well-deserved title of 'Father of Civil Administration in Mumbai'. Sir Feroze Shah Mehta passed away on 5th November 1915.
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