In a political development in Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Milind Narvekar thanked Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for deferring certain proposals in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's improvements committee. This came after Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray claimed that his allegations led to the proposals being referred back.
Narvekar's Late-Night Call to CM
Narvekar stated that he called CM Fadnavis late on Tuesday night, briefing him about the proposals and the irregularities within them. He urged the CM to get them deferred, to which Fadnavis agreed. The improvements committee, led by Sandhya Doshi of Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, had been accused by the opposition of backing these proposals. Narvekar's praise for Fadnavis raised eyebrows in political circles, given the rivalry between the two parties.
Thackeray's Earlier Exposé
Aaditya Thackeray had earlier exposed the proposals and demanded their scrapping. Narvekar said, "There were some wrong proposals that were to be tabled in the improvements committee. Aaditya Thackeray had already exposed them and demanded that they be scrapped. At midnight, I spoke to CM Fadnavis. He told me that he won't allow irregularities and wrong proposals to be passed. He agreed to this and he has got all the proposals stopped and prevented loss to the BMC and a controversy."
Narvekar's Unique Position
Despite being a close aide of Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Narvekar is said to share a rapport with CM Fadnavis and is considered a bridge between the two former alliance partners, now rivals. This relationship may have facilitated the deferment.
Details of the Controversial Proposals
Narvekar listed several contentious proposals that were deferred:
- A plan to run SevenHills Hospital on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis.
- Blood banks in five BMC hospitals to be handed over to a private organization along with the land.
- A playground in Bandra to be converted into an exhibition centre reservation.
- Reservation of a garden plot in Malabar Hill to be changed to residential for a high-rise building.
- A plot of public housing in Vakola to be given to a private society for development.
- Green belt reservation on a plot at Malabar Hill proposed to be changed to residential.
These proposals, if passed, could have led to significant financial losses for the BMC and sparked public controversy. The deferment has been seen as a victory for transparency and accountability in municipal governance.
