Mumbai: A committee meeting of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking was cancelled on Tuesday for the first time after the General Manager Surendrakumar Bagde failed to turn up on time.
Chairperson Anil Kokil made the announcement soon after he entered the meeting hall. Shiv Sena member Pravin Shinde protested that even though the meeting was scheduled for 2 p.m., the GM had not arrived till 2.30 p.m. Though Mr. Bagde did enter the hall soon thereafter, Mr. Kokil could not be dissuaded from cancelling the meeting.
“This is the first time that a BEST meeting had been cancelled for this reason. It is unfair to keep so many people waiting,” said Congress leader Ravi Raja, leader of the Opposition in the BMC and a member of the BEST committee.
Mr. Bagde told The Hindu he was not aware of the exact reasons why the meeting was adjourned. He said, “Whenever quorum is attained, I get a call and then I go for the meeting, and did the same today. I don’t know why the meeting was cancelled.”
Mr. Kokil said the GM failed to turn up even after a couple of reminders were sent to his office.
Meanwhile, the six BJP members on the BEST committee returned the ₹50 meeting allowance they receive from BEST. “We are also returning the bus passes we get, given the financial crunch BEST is facing,” BJP leader Sunil Ganacharya said.
