New members, no panel

MUMBAI, December 15: Applause, congratulatory remarks and hurrahs rouse from the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP benches when Mayor Vishakha Raut anno...

MUMBAI, December 15: Applause, congratulatory remarks and hurrahs rouse from the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP benches when Mayor Vishakha Raut announced the names of the newly elected 11-member Nehru Rozgar Yojana Implementation Committee.

But, the excitement faded as soon as the Congress corporator Pravin Chheda pointed out that the ambitious scheme (Nehru Rozgar Yogana) was scrapped on December 8, 1997, and all the committees formed under it too are defunct.

Chheda sought an explanation from the Mayor as to how she could announce the election of new members to a defunct body. “Can anybody please explain why new members are being declared elected to the committee when the scheme itself has been scrapped by the Central government?” he asked to a bemused Mayor displaying newspaper clippings.

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He accused the administration and the ruling party of wasting precious time and money on a futile exercise.

After quick consultations with an equally confused Municipal Secretary Sudha Khire, and leader of the House, Nandu Satam, Raut clarified that the elections to the committee were held during the general body meeting held on June 29, 1997, much earlier than the Central government’s decision to scrap the employment scheme.

However, she upheld the point of order and demanded further explanation from the administration for this confusion.

Later, Khire said the decision of the Central government has not yet been conveyed to the BMC by the state government.

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“These things take time, you see. If I had known that the Nehru Rozgar Yojana has already been scrapped by the Central government, I would not have placed this item on the agenda at all. In any case, it is not such a big thing,” she said.

The newly elected members, however, preferred to confirm the information before commenting to the press. “We are not yet sure of the Central government decision, and it would be premature to speak about our election to the committee,” they said.

Those declared elected today were Namdeo Damu Ubale, Vishnu Jayram Kanvaje, Nilima Jaywant Kashelkar, Sharad Rajaram Kamble, Suryakant Gangaram Chavan, Suchita Tatu Chindarkar, Rajul Suresh Patel, Sarla Omprakash Bang, Valiben Raghav Makwana, Sunita Baliram Raut, and Nilima Manohar Rajopadhye.