OFF THE RECORD review on some of the headlines…
- BMC works overtime to ‘cut’ revenue of the state.
To help builders pay slashed premiums, no holiday at BMC, read a headline in Times a few days back. Maharashtra Chamber Housing Industry (MCHI) and Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of Indian (CREDAI) had put in a request with the BMC to keep the offices open on all days, as the deadline to pay ‘slashed’ premiums gets over on 19.8.2021. Now basic questions. This approval from the BMC comes just a few days before the deadline. The cause to help the builder lobby by the state government was absolute a necessity, by giving such relief in the ‘premium’ is a welcome move and it will help the dead Builder line, but what makes the BMC or the Government think, that what the Builder didn’t achieve in last 16 months, they will do so in these ‘3 days’ of holidays? Also, if the builder lobby was so sure about working tirelessly and making the most of this policy, they should have approached the Government and got the extension of the date by a few days or even months rather than asking BMC to work on a holiday. First time in the history of mankind, any department has worked on public holidays to make losses for their corporation or state. Let’s see via RTI how many of them made it these 3 days?
2. Ashutosh Saleel gets ready to go for Central Deputation.
Good News for all the people working under him at the BMC and at the Tourism Department, and my personal thanks to Saleel’s once mentor and now powerful in Delhi, Shri Praveen Pardeshi…You guys are bad, don’t think too much…. aise hi man kiya thank you bolne kaa…
3. MP Imtiyaz Jaleel & Aurangabad Municipal Commissioner Aştık Kumar Pandey
See how misunderstandings are created if there is no communication. MP Imtiyaz Jaleel shared a program leaflet on his Facebook Page. The program was an inauguration of an oxygen plant in Aurangabad to be done by the hands of Minister Aditya Thackeray and a couple of other Ministers from State and Centre. In that leaflet what caught my attention too, apart from Jaleel’s, was mention of ‘special efforts’ by Mumbai based Shivsena deputy leader Sachin Ahir. Didn’t ring my bell too as to why an IAS based in Aurangabad is thanking Ahir? But then Jaleel posted on Facebook and you know what happens then. The comments (not so polite) began about MC Astik Pandey. Few reached my ears too, like how Aditya Thackeray gives special attention to any projects in Aurangabad and grants funds quickly and so on. But the presence of Ahir in an Auranagabad event was sounding dodgy for me too, hence digging up some information. Now see how clever these politicians are. Jaleel posted only one half of the invite. The second page had his name also as an invitee, as I thought that Pandey didn’t invite Jaleel and hence all this drama. But then he was invited. Secondly, it was neither the Government’s nor Aurangabad Municipal Corporation’s program. It was an event where the PSA plant at MELTRON was donated and organised by Shivsena. So labelling Pandey as pro Shivsena or pro BJP is a bit too much. Sachin Ahir was in fact coordinating with Pandey for installation of this plant from Mumbai, as it was a ‘sponsored’ event of Shivsena. He was the Nodal person. By the way, BJP’s Minister from the Centre, Dr Bhagwat Karad was invited too. Why Imtiyaz Bhai, why then this type of posts and create misunderstandings unnecessarily?
4. Veer ki Veerta…
By the way, do you know that if any Government officer who is arrested and in custody for 24 hours, he is deemed to be suspended. Why is Sanjeev Palande yet not, GAD? Who is stopping this? Heard this officer Veer, who has this power, in private is telling about some pressure from some ‘Tai’ to NOT to suspend this Palande at any cost. Veer, who would be soon retiring, has been promised an ‘OSD’ position with some Minister, by Tai, heard somewhere. Why this trend continues I don’t understand. Once you retire, get out na with dignity. You occupy some or the same post and the officers who are next for promotion in your place are left in a lurch. There are challenges right from getting a quarter allotted to themselves to lobbying for the posting then of the second best choice for the next in line. But yes, Palande should be suspended, don’t understand why a hue and cry is not made out of this ?
5. Latest on BJP
Now this has come from the corridors of power in Delhi. So Shivsena was all ready to go in with the BJP to form Government in the state. A delegation led by a Central Minister of the BJP (Apna Mumbaikar) along with Shivsena’s who’s who met the two top people of the BJP at Delhi. Everything was decided but then Number 2 called up those (the one) who matter in the BJP here for their opinion and consultation. “We will take care of the 2024 Loksabha elections and won’t let you down, that’s a promise! And yes, never ever now Shivsena”, pat came the reply and the buck stopped right there! Sigh….
Vikrant Hemant Joshi
