In a major embarrassment for the local BJP unit, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has mooted a proposal to recover the arrears towards ground rent for the recently held ‘CM Chashak’ (Chief Minister’s Trophy), by adding the pending amount to the property tax bills of the party’s city president Hemant Mhatre.
In an attempt to strike a chord with the younger populace, the state BJP leadership had directed all party legislators and district, city heads to organise the CM Cricket Trophy, a multi-sports event, in their respective constituencies. Responding positively to the directions, BJP’s local unit organised the sporting event for participants from the Mira-Bhayandar (145) assembly segment at the Netaji Subhashchandra Bose Municipal Stadium in Bhayandar in December 2018.
However, it has been alleged that the organisers installed stalls, banners and tents at the venue for nearly a month, but went on to pay the charges for only seven days. In response to complaints filed by social activist and RTI worker Krishna Gupta, the civic administration after much dilly-dallying issued notices to BJP’s city chief, tagged with a demand of Rs. 8,66,238.