A total of 16 corporators of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have been disqualified and lost their membership during last 10 years. This information was revealed after activist Anil Galgali filed an RTI with Municipal Secretary office of the BMC.
Apart from two exceptions, all others lost their membership on the charge of submitting false caste certificates, while filing their nominations. The remaining two corporators were disqualified on the ground of having more than two children.
Assistant BMC Secretary Pramod Giri provided records to Anil Galgali after he raised the query. According to available records, during the earlier tenure of BMC between year 2007to 2012, 12 Corporators were disqualified from their membership. Shirish Chogle, Sunil Chavan, Lalji Yadav, Rashmi Pahadukar, Narayan Pawar, Pravin Devhare, Vishvanath Mahadeshwar, Subhash Sawant, Anjum Aslam, Simantini Narkar and Bharti Dhondge were disqualified for submitting false caste certificate. While Gulshan Chauhan lost her membership for having more than two children. During the present tenure of BMC from year 2012- 2017, situation improved considerably as only four corporators have been disqualified during last five years. Bhavna Jobanputra, Mohammed Ishaq and Kondum Anupa were disqualified for producing fake caste certificates. Shaikh Siraj was the only exception in this term who lost his membership for having more than two children.
Anil Galgali said, “Political parties should ensure that candidates with proper caste certificates are nominated to fight elections. The government must take steps to avert such incidents in future. An important event like disqualification is not posted on the BMC’s official website which is unjustified.”
