Shiv Sena delegation to meet PM

Mumbai, Feb 5 (UNI) A delegation of Shiv Sena leaders, led by party's executive president Uddhav Thackeray, will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to the city on Friday and present him with a memorandum on various issues pertaining to the development of the metropolis.

Addressing a press conference here, party spokesman and senior Sena leader Manohar Joshi said the issue of threat to autonomy of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) would also be raised during the meeting with Dr Singh.

''We will present him with a memorandum on different concerns related to Mumbai's growth and development as well as the funds required from the Centre,'' he said.

The junior Thackeray will soon convene a meeting of prominent citizens and urban experts regarding Mumbai. Replying to a question on whether such a meeting was a one time affair after winning the civic polls like the ones after winning the 2002 civic polls, Mr Joshi said the party wanted to try out such an initiative by making the first move.

He said that Uddhav convened a meeting of the newly elected corporators at Sena Bhavan this morning where strict instructions were given to each corporator that he/she should not allow illegal constructions to come up in their respective wards.

All corporators will have to submit a report card of their work done to the party as well as to the people.

The Sena executive president said he would personally monitor the zonal meetings of respective corporators and shakhapramukhs to review the works done in the areas. He also suggested setting up of complaint box at the block level of the party to enable citizens to write in their grievances and said he would personally monitor the grievances to ensure that they are solved.

''We denied tickets to only 19 sitting corporators. Out of the 45 sitting corporators renominated, 38 were re-elected. The party finished second in 44 wards. Out of the 94 new faces, 46 were elected,'' he said.

He said the party's vote share in the recent elections was 45.5 per cent as against 42 per cent in 2002 and 44 per cent in 1997. Congress vote share was 27 per cent and NCP's was 12.2 per cent, Mr Joshi added.

UNI