Mumbai: The BMC Standing Committee chairperson, Prabhakar Shinde, directed the civic administration to conduct a third-party audit by reputed conservation experts to monitor the maintenance of heritage structures and statues across the city. A proposal for the appointment of a contractor to undertake the maintenance and preservation of six heritage water fountains and 16 statues in the heritage precincts of Fort, at a cost of Rs 2.37 crore, was tabled before the civic Standing Committee on Wednesday.Shiv Sena (UBT) member Yashodhar Phanse questioned why the statue of late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray was not included in the list of statues and structures covered under the proposed contract. However, the civic administration clarified that the statue was maintained at the ward level. Other members also raised concerns over the condition of several statues. Shiv Sena member Yamini Jadhav said the proposal did not specify how the conservation work would be carried out or detail the contractor’s experience in heritage preservation.
