Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) standing committee meeting on Monday witnessed a sharp political confrontation after chairperson and first-time BJP corporator Shivani Dani Wakhare reportedly justified hurried approval of agenda items by saying, “We are in majority,” triggering strong protests from four Congress corporators (all members in the standing committee) who termed the functioning of the panel “arbitrary and undemocratic”.The meeting, expected to take up several key proposals, instead ended in uproar as opposition members accused the ruling BJP of pushing through all items without allowing discussion. Congress corporators Abhijeet Jha, Abhishek Shambarkar, and Wasim Khan said the remark clearly indicated that dissenting voices would not be heard despite the standing committee being the main financial scrutiny body of the civic administration.Jha and Khan objected to the manner in which the meeting was conducted, stating that they were accountable to voters and could not remain silent when public money was being approved without debate. “No one can keep our voice down. We are answerable to the citizens, who elected us. As standing committee members, we have every right to raise objections, seek clarifications, and question the administration over any proposal,” Jha said after the meeting.Opposition members alleged that several expenditure-related proposals were cleared within minutes without discussion, including those related to machinery hiring, development works, and administrative approvals. They said the majority was being used to avoid questions rather than ensure transparency.Despite the protests, the committee cleared all major proposals placed before it. These included approval for construction of a box cell bridge near Techops City at Gargoti in Gajanan Nagar, where the lowest bidder quoted 26.57% below the estimated cost, and a Rs2.18 crore proposal for the annual purchase of mosquito-control insecticides across all 10 zones.The panel also granted post-facto approval to Rs94.31 lakh spent on hiring JCB machines and tipper trucks during the last monsoon for a period of 45 days. Jha wanted an explanation from the workshop department over hiring vehicles at such a high price. But in the meeting, which lasted for minutes, Dani Wakhare did not allow them to seek details.The panel also cleared a Rs41.70 lakh proposal related to hot-mix plant machinery for road recarpeting, and approved a Rs28.43 lakh development work proposal in slum areas under prabhag 6. It also extended the contracts of GIS experts and assistants for another three months at a cost of Rs18.69 lakh.Responding to the allegations, Dani said she studies every proposal when the files reach her office and maintained that Congress corporators should follow decorum during meetings. “I respect them and give them an opportunity to present their views, but if they continue to disrupt the proceedings, the meeting cannot function,” she said. Congress corporators also pointed out that the civic body has already spent nearly Rs18 crore on preparing the development plan, but little progress is visible.
