BNCMC Puts ₹15-Crore Contractor Payout on Hold After Heated Debate
The Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation has put a proposed ₹15-crore compensation payment to waste management contractor Anthony Waste Handling Pvt Ltd on hold following a heated debate during a general body meeting in Bhiwandi on Thursday.
With the civic body facing strained finances, corporators questioned the move to burden the exchequer and demanded that accountability be fixed if administrative lapses led to the financial liability. BJP corporators Sumit Patil and Vaibhav Bhoir raised strong objections to the proposed disbursement, arguing that the corporation's financial health remains precarious.
Patil and Bhoir demanded that officials and employees responsible for the situation be identified. They insisted that the ₹15-crore liability should be recovered directly from those held accountable rather than passing the burden onto local taxpayers.
BJP group leader Santosh Shetty asked the civic administration to seek an opinion from experienced legal counsel regarding the Supreme Court's ruling on the matter. He urged officials to examine whether the corporation can file a review petition or pursue any other legal remedies available under the law.
Former mayor Vilas Patil also objected to releasing the funds in haste. He stated that although the civic administration had already drafted a proposal to disburse the amount, the municipal body must first determine its remaining legal options following the verdict delivered by the Supreme Court.
Municipal Commissioner Anmol Sagar clarified to the House that an administrative decision on the payment could only be enacted after receiving approval from the general body, which is why the administration placed the proposal before the corporators.
Following the discussion, Mayor Narayan Chaudhary directed that the ₹15 crore be kept aside for the time being. Chaudhary instructed officials to pursue legal consultations to determine if the civic body can approach the Supreme Court again, and to evaluate all available procedures and legal remedies before any final decision is made.
