MUMBAI — The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Standing Committee has approved a proposal to take more than 30,000 civic school students, including Class VII pupils, on environmental education trips to Keshav Srushti in Uttan, Bhayandar, despite strong opposition from members who questioned the institution’s association with organisations linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The proposal was placed before the BMC Standing Committee on Thursday and was approved by a majority vote, as members of the ruling alliance outnumbered the opposition.
Under the proposal, students from BMC schools studying in different mediums and belonging to different religious communities will be taken to Keshav Srushti under an “Environment Study and Training Educational Trip”. The proposal involves an expenditure of around Rs 2.46 crore.
Keshav Srushti was established as a tribute to RSS founder Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar.
Congress group leader in the BMC Ashraf Azmi strongly objected to the proposal during the Standing Committee meeting and demanded that it be withdrawn and the process restarted through a fresh public tender.
MNS member Yashwant Killadar and members of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) also opposed the proposal. The opposition members, however, were unable to stop its approval due to their smaller numbers on the committee.
Azmi’s main objection concerned the alleged absence of a tender for the Rs 2.46-crore proposal. He said BMC rules require public tenders to be issued through advertisements for works exceeding Rs 3 lakh.
This story was originally published in clarionindia.net. Read the full story here.
