Hand over Mumbai Metro to BMC: Sena-BJP

Duo release manifesto for civic polls.

Expressing fear that the fares of Mumbai metro may not be affordable for the common man, the Shiv Sena-BJP combine has demanded in their joint manifesto handing over the Mumbai Metro to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The joint manifesto was released by Sena's working president Uddhav Thackeray and senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde to mark the 80th birthday of Sena chief Bal Thackeray.

Addressing a press conference, Uddhav Thackeray said, "In Kolkata, it is the Indian railways, which runs the metro. In Delhi, the Delhi Metro Railway Corporation, controlled by the Delhi state government and the Centre, manages it. Then why a different yardstick in the case of Mumbai where the project is run by a private company?"

He further added that unless the metro was not handed over to the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) of the BMC, the private players would go on increasing the fares as per their whims and fancies.

Alleging that the state and central governments were trying to erode the autonomy of the BMC, Thackeray said many important civic projects of Mumbai were executed or run by the state government agencies like MMRDA, MHADA, MSRDC or Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC). "The representatives elected by Mumbaikars should have a greater say and authority in planning, commissioning and running of the infrastructure projects," he added.

The manifesto assures to generate 40 Mw power through the Middle Vaitarna project, which is currently being planned for increasing the city?s water supply. It also promises to pursue the issues of introducing capital value-based property tax system and reducing the burden of property tax in suburban Mumbai with the state government, if the combine comes to power for a third term.

On the abolition of octroi, Thackeray said the state government had to take a decision on the issue. There is clear division in the Sena over the issue as some of the party's MPs and MLAs have been demanding abolition of octroi while its representative in the BMC have been opposing the move as they fear it will put the municipal corporation in a tight financial situation. The manifesto also talks about reserving space in malls for various items produced by women self-help groups by giving them extra floor space index.

On the assurance given by Congress to regularise all the slums built up to 2000, Munde said, "The Congress? assurance is a mere eyewash as they had given similar assurances in their manifesto for assembly elections too. If the state government were serious, they would have introduced a Bill to amend the law, which regularises slums only up to 1995."

The issue is pending before the Bombay High Court and all political parties will have to abide by the court's verdict, he added.

Munde and Thackeray also held the state government responsible for dereservation of plots reserved for various public amenities and claimed that just because they had raised the issue in the state legislature there was a stay on dereservation of 51 plots of the 71 plots.

The Sena also did not take a clear stand on the influx of migrants in city. "This is the question beyond the purview of the municipal corporation. All political parties need to come together and address the issue," Thackeray said.