Mira Bhayander: Mayor at loggerHeads with MBMC chief over invitation card sans protocol

With elections to the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) just a few months away, a fresh row is brewing between the civic administration and the local BJP leaderships over credit for various developmental projects amidst a clamour to get noticed in invitation cards and bag prominent spaces to hog limelight in inaugural ceremonies. The BJP-led MBMC has scheduled a ceremony on 16, May to inaugurate various developmental projects including- Buddha Vihar, swimming pool, distribution of flat keys to slum dwelling beneficiaries under the BSUP project and the 90 meter hydraulic aerial ladder platform (HALP) fire fighter.

The BJP has invited former chief minister and leader of opposition- Devendra Fadnavis to inaugurate the facilities. Mayor-Jyotsna Hasnale who has personally met the chief minister to extend the invitation is now irate over the civic administration for adding names of other leaders without consent and breaching protocols while printing the invitation cards. Hasnale has threatened to print fresh invitation cards on her own if the civic chief fails to rectify the gaffes.

On the other hand the civic chief has maintained that the cards have been printed in accordance to the government guidelines and errors if any will be rectified. It should be noted that rules are already in place mandating prior permission from the Mayor with a stress upon maintaining decorum and adhering to government guidelines while printing names of invitees on invitation cards and their seating arrangement to be made as per protocol for municipal functions and ceremonies. However it has often been observed that politicians lag behind when it comes to performing developmental work but are always on the forefront to take credit for the completed tasks.