Ravi Raja, Cong leader and opposition leader in BMC

The tenders for the devices were floated in November 2020 and finalised a month later. M/S Induriks Solution is ready to provide the laptops and tablets for Rs 85,61,610, says the proposal. 

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The proposal even mentions that ‘Ravi Raja, leader of opposition, has instructed to supply laptops to school children of ward number 176’, an unusual statement carrying the name of a corporator on a proposal. 

As per the proposal, BMC will procure 140 laptops. Representation pic

Ravi Raja told mid-day on Monday, “It is not the case of transfer of funds. I made a provision in the budget 2020-21 for the laptops and tablets for my ward.” When asked why this provision is not for students for the entire city, he said it is a special fund. 

“Corporators who are in the position of power like the chairpersons of various committees always get more resources for their wards. Even an MLA from the ruling party pressured the BMC to give more amenities in a particular ward like G South (Worli),” said a corporator from a western suburb, adding that nobody from Sena, Congress, NCP or SP will be able to comment on this openly. 

Prabhakar Shinde, group leader of BJP, told mid-day, “I haven’t read the proposal yet. I can comment afterwards.”

When a similar proposal was passed in August 2019 for the ward of Yashwant Jadhav, chairman of the standing committee, rival corporators, including Ravi Raja and Samajwadi Party’s Rais Sheikh had termed it improper. They had charged the BMC commissioner of being pliable to a person in the seat of power in the corporation. 

Ravi Raja had issued a statement, “The fund was for sewing machines for poor women in Yashwant Jadhav’s ward. He transferred the fund for laptops. Why is a special case being made for him? All councillors are equal and the demands of all 227 councillors should be considered.”