Published On : Wed, Aug 21st, 2013

Twists and turns: Vikas Thakre dares Mayor to rule firmly or exchange his seat with him

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The unusual wordings by the Opposition Leader were in connection with the issue of minimum wages to temporary cleaning workers and the Mayor’s flip flop on the issue. When the half a dozen Corporators were blowing hot and pressuring the Mayor to provide the cleaning workers justice, the Mayor Anil Sole, instead of listening to the bone of contention of Corporators, publicly sided with the Administration and forced the Corporators to listen the stand of the Administration on the issue.

Nagpur News: The proverbial “twists and turns” were authentically witnessed in the General Body Meeting of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) when the Opposition Leader Vikas Thakre roared and dared the Mayor Anil Sole to give him his seat and then see how the General Body Meeting is conducted and the House is run. Thakre called the Mayor a weakling and buckling under the pressure of NMC Administration.

The unusual wordings by the Opposition Leader were in connection with the issue of minimum wages to contract cleaning workers and the Mayor’s flip flop on the issue. When the half a dozen Corporators were blowing hot and pressuring the Mayor to provide the cleaning workers justice, the Mayor Anil Sole, instead of listening to the bone of contention of Corporators, publicly sided with the Administration and forced the Corporators to listen the stand of the Administration on the issue. The Mayor then invited the NMC bosses to make their stand clear and come clean on the crucial issue.

The Administration made their stand clear by saying that the minimum wages being paid to the temporary cleaning workers are in accordance with the rules. Milind Ganvir, on behalf of the Administration and on the order from NMC Commissioner Shyam Wardhane, informed the House that there is rule in PWD for paying Rs 308 daily wages for skilled cleaning workers and the NMC’s temporary cleaning workers being unskilled the PWD rules could not be applied in NMC.

The Congress Corporator Praful Gudhde Patil retorted and said, “The temporary cleaning workers, who work day and night to keep the city clean, must be paid the minimum wages. When NMC could pay Rs 11,000 to private security guards per month then what is the problem in giving the temporary cleaning workers the minimum wages that too when every Corporator is in favour of minimum wages to temporary cleaning workers. The NMC would incur additional Rs 10 crore. Then what is the problem?

The exchange of words between the Corporators, the NMC Administration, and the Mayor’s flip flop enraged the Opposition Leader Vikas Thakre and asked the Mayor to issue a strong ruling on the issue or exchange his seat with him and then see how a General Body Meeting is conducted and the House is run.