Civic chief says simplify forms, Sena asks him to learn Marathi

MUMBAI: A recent circular sent out by the BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta became bone of contention at the BMC standing committee meeting on Friday.
Mehta in a circular sent to all the Additional Municipal Commissioner (AMCs), Head of Department’s (HODs) and Assistant commissioners (A.C.’s) on May 13, said that all forms (which are in Marathi) for various civic services in the MCGM are unduly long and cumbersome and ask for information sometimes not relevant to the work of citizens seeking the concerned service.Therefore to make it easy for all citizens and to ease the doing of business in Mumbai all departments were asked to simply and shorten the application forms and ask for relevant information only.
However this did not go too well with the corporators in the BMC. Shiv Sena corporator Ramakant Rahate raised a point of order over the issue in the BMC calling it as injustice towards Marathi language. “If the higher authorities are asking for simplification of Marathi words it is an injustice towards our language. They need to therefore take some classes for it,” said Rahate.
Shiv Sena corporator Yashodhar Phanse and standing committee chairperson agreeing with it said no injustice to Marathi would be tolerated and this circular should be hence taken back.
The Samajwadi Party leader in the BMC Rais Shaikh however called this a political drama. “This is politicizing an issue. The controversial Development Plan (DP) 2034 was never published in Marathi which is eventually being redone and the administration should do that this time at least,” said Shaikh.