Sena-BJP to oppose Mah Govt's decision on Zunka Bhakar Kendras

Mumbai, May 18 (UNI) The ruling Shiv Sena-BJP combine in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will oppose the Maharashtra government's proposed move to abolish the Zunka Bhakar Kendras in the metropolis at a meeting of the civic body's Standing Committee on May 25.

''We will oppose the state government's decision and the kendras on BMC land will be given permission to run the same on a monthly rental basis and a proposal will be presented in the Standing Committee meeting to be held on May 25,'' Mangesh Satamkar, a member of the Standing Committee said.

The state government took the decision to abolish the kendras all over the state, citing mismanagement and leasing out the premises as the major factor.

Since the BJP-Sena combine has a majority in the BMC, the proposal will be passed in the committee meet, he said.

The zunka bhakar kendras were started in 1995 by the Sena-BJP government for the unemployed and zunka bhakar was provided to the customers at Re 1. The state government had decided to give an initial amount of Rs 25,000 to the operators as an investment. In Mumbai, there are 240 such kendras and amongst them 140 are on BMC land. The rest of the kendras are on MHADA, MMRDA or collector's land, he said.

Replying to the allegations that the land was leased to others and zunka bhakar was not sold at these centres, Mr Satamkar said ''The state government should prepare some guidelines for the irregularities in the scheme and punish the guilty rather than closing them down.'' UNI