Independent corporator Manoj Sansare was announced as one of the group leaders in the BMC with the support of only one corporator.
Mayor Sunil Prabhu announced the decision to nominate Mr Sansare as a group leader in the civic general body meeting on Thursday. The announcement took several corporators by surprise, as he was only supported by another Independent corporator Hanifa Bi. Mr Sansare, who has an attempt to murder case against him, apart from 39 other charges, has been elected from Wadala ward number 172.
Earlier, it was customary in the BMC to appoint a corporator, who enjoys the support of at least five others. However, Mr Sansare has broken this custom.
A senior civic official said, “It was only a custom, not the rule. According to the BMC Act 56/S2, the interested candidate should file his nomination at Konkan Bhavan within a month after the election results are declared. Mr Sansare had applied for the post within the stipulated time.”
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HC TO BMC: clarify stand on installing taps in slums
age correspondent
Mumbai, Aug. 30
The Bombay HC has asked the BMC to explain its stand after the state informed the court that it had already asked all municipalities to install taps to provide water to non-notified slums.
The BMC had earlier informed the court that it had no definite policy to provide drinking water in slums as the circular issued by the state’s urban development department was “confusing”.
The issue was brought before the court by petitioners Pani Hakka Committee and others. They had claimed that people living in the slums were not receiving potable water. The BMC claimed that it was only following a circular, issued by the UDD, whi-ch stated that water to these slums be stopped.
Senior counsel Mihir Desai demanded that the circular be quashed and also sought provision of at least 48 litres per person daily in non-notified slums. Government pleader Milind More, defying the BMC’s stand said that a GR dating to 1996, had asked civic authorities to provide a common water tap to all non-notified slums.