Smart City project is ploy to centrally control Mumbai: Sena

Terming the 'Smart city' project of the Union government as "unconstitutional" and "illegal", the Shiv Sena today alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship scheme is a ploy to have central control over Mumbai.
Coming down heavily on the project, the ruling alliance partner said it is an attempt to create a new "underworld" and thereby impose a "parallel administration."
"Every city has a different problem. The formation of a special purpose vehicle with funds from the state government and the municipal corporation would be a private company that would control the municipal corporation, and the city would thus be finally controlled by the Centre," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

"If someone from the Centre is controlling a city, it is a kind of dictatorship. Controlling a city through companies by bypassing the elected municipal corporation is illegal and unconstitutional...It is like creating a new underworld and imposing a parallel government," it charged.
The Sena further alleged that the project favoured capitalists, traders and builders and that providing Rs 500 crore over five years for Mumbai, that has an annual budget of over Rs 34,000 crore, is of no use.
"Mumbai gives taxes worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore to the Centre every year. If the Centre uses even 25 per cent of this money for the city, not only Mumbai but the entire Maharashtra would become a smart state," the editorial said.

"We cannot let Mumbai become a servant of multi-national companies in the name of Smart City and let them decide on the development and taxes. Today power is being snatched from the people and cities are going in the hands of the rich. If this is a back-door ploy to Centrally administer Mumbai, then people should see Shivaji with a sword in his hand," the Sena said.

Waikar further said that once the remaining parts of
Vidarbha, Western Maharashtra and Konkan are completed, a compiled report will be submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis by Thackeray.
He further said that Sena expects that the Fadnavis government considers the report that will guide the government.

When asked to state the reason behind this initiative, Waikar said, "We are following late Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology who had taught us give 80 per cent preference to social responsibilities and 20 to politics."
He said that the government has failed to give relief to distressed farmers and hence the Sena is using the amount that has been collected through the auction of Thackeray's photographs.