Navi Mumbai Mayor Sudhakar Sonawane on Thursday said he will be writing to President Pranab Mukherjee about Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe and his way of working that has led to tension in the city’s administration.
Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Sonawane said: “I have worked with several IAS officers over the past 20 years, but this is the first time (I have seen) someone work in an autocratic way. The President should be told about Mr. Mundhe, who has caused so much unrest among the corporators and the public.”
His comments came after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s decision on Wednesday to suspend the no-confidence motion passed against Mr. Mundhe. Mr. Fadnavis has also decided to give Mr. Sonawane a hearing, after which the final decision will be made. The order says the Mayor will have to submit his say within 30 days.
The Mayor and corporators are likely to state in their reply that section 451 (1) of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act (MMCA), on the basis of which the resolution was suspended by Mr. Fadnavis, is not applicable in this case. “Removal of Mr. Mundhe will neither cause any law and order issue nor will it cause financial loss to the NMMC. So, using this section for suspending the resolution is baseless. We will highlight this in our report,” Mr Sonawane said.
Vijay Nahata, Shiv Sena Deputy Leader and former NMMC Commissioner, said, “The resolution was passed by the general body under section 36 (3) of the MMCA. As per this section, it is mandatory for the government to remove the person with immediate effect. Section 451 (1) of the MMCA can be invoked in this case only if the no-confidence motion would have been without jurisdiction or authority, and if such a resolution would cause loss or injury to the public.”
Corporators believe the CM’s decision will be in their favour. “This is just a routine procedure. We have full faith that after we submit our report, the decision will be in our favour. Right now, it seems the CM is trying to balance everything and keep everyone happy,” Sena corporator Kishore Patkar said.
Meanwhile, the online petition onchange.orgin Mr Mundhe’s support has been signed by more than 4,300 residents.
The writer is a freelance journalist
