OFF THE RECORD review on some of todays headlines…
1. Congress MLA alleges cartel in solid waste disposal work
The biggest name in Solid Waste Disposal department since years in the Mumbai, Thane & Navi Mumbai Corporation unarguably is “Anthony”. Don’t know if he is the company or the incharge himself. Allegedly he is the partner of 90% of our Corporator’s (now MLAs also) and treats the Municipalities as his den. Apparently even today, he is backed by once a powerhouse of Navi Mumbai from the NCP Party. Here also Anthony enjoys good rapport from the Shelar’s to Aslam Sheikhs to the Rais Sheikhs. The green trucks/dumpers ferrying in and around our town carrying waste, maximum belong to this Anthony. I don’t know how he manages to bag tenders since years but it is said, the whole of Solid Waste Management department is at his mercy. I particularly remember this one case. Obviously there exists small players also; but none of them are doing business as compared to Anthony’s volume. After the fire at the Deonar dumping ground, Anthony along with one of the Samajwadi Party Corporator laid their eyes on this “creamy” business opportunity there. But one lady AMC who was incharge of SWM then, was against this SP Corporator blackmailing her to award a particular work order to his company (then later with joined efforts with a Mumbai Mirror’s journalist, this SP corporator did manage to publish defaming articles in MM). Apparently in the next week or two, this lady AMC was stripped off this portfolio. Such is influence of Anthony. Anyway to continue with the story–obviously along with Anthony there are some 3 to 4 small companies ferrying wastes; they aren’t subsidiaries of Anthony but literally they get ant’s share in the pie. Now when Anthony laid his hands and eyes and what not on Deonar, Mumbai suburbs suffered a lot as the trucks and men used for lifting waste did not work for almost 3 days back then. This I’m talking about somewhere in 2013/14. Obviously every ward officer in writing gave this small time contractor order to lift the waste and accordingly he was promised that he would be compensated. Now since the density to collect Suburban Mumbai’s waste was more, 1 or 2 tonnes of waste above the pick up limit (6 tones per vehicle is the limit) was sanctioned by ward officers on paper and payments were promised. Even today my friends, that contractor is not paid. The bill along with the interest runs in crores and the file in spite of writing some 55 letters to the BMC is yet to clear whimsical Vijay Balamwars table. A Dispute Resolve Committee was set up by an AMC wherein every paper is shouting the injustice done on this contractor. He has sold his house and living on rent, but continuous to do business as thats the only thing they know.
2. ED issue fresh summons for Baba Siddique
As per reports, Baba Siddique is very clear that he has every paper in place and he will come out clean. But ED sources say, they are waiting for Ramadan to get over to nail Baba.
3. Shivsena backs Kovind as President
As my journalist friend Pramod Chunchuwar puts it UT=Uddhav Thackrey and UT also means U Turn. Is it something new you have heard? I haven’t. How I miss Balasaheb Thackrey…The reasons mentioned in Samna today for doing the U turn, don’t tell me Uddhav Thackrey was not knowing them…As another facebook post runs Tiger ate the Dhokla…(Amit Shah visited Matoshri)
