Yet another incident which exposes the deep-rooted nexus between politicians and local contractors in the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC), corporators cutting across party lines vehemently opposed the civic administrations justified move of roping in the Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) to hire 250 guards for securing its headquarters and healthcare establishment’s including-hospitals, COVID care centres and treatment units across the twin-city.
The corporators registered their protest in the general body meeting held through video conferencing on Wednesday.
However, municipal commissioner- Dilip Dhole remained firm on his decision, thus pouring cold water on attempts made by some members to protect the existing security agency which has been in the news mostly for wrong reasons.
Claiming that the right of taking such an important move rests with the general body, members including Dhruvkishor Patil, Chandrakant Vaity and Mayor- Jyotsna Hasnale complained that elected representatives were kept in the dark and the transition was bound to render hundreds of local youths in the twin-city jobless.
Doling out lakhs of rupees every month, the MBMC has hired a private security agency which claims to have deployed 982 guards for securing civic properties and to accompany officials during demolition and eviction drives. Despite being obliged to hire fully-trained and background verified guards from the Maharashtra State Security Corporation (MSSC) run-MSF, the civic administration had been showing generosity by offering contracts and illegal extensions to the security agency sans accountability for the past more than a decade.
From being caught taking bribes to abusing hawkers, attacking shopkeepers and a horrific rape incident at a quarantine unit in Bhayandar, the bouncers and guards had invited public wrath, prompting the civic administration to hire well-trained guards to provide security and protection to its properties. The firm stand taken by the municipal commissioner has indicated that more MSF guards will be hired to replace existing ones in coming months.
