Mira-Bhayander mayor wants iftar party using civic funds, corporators object

MUMBAI: The Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC) mayor has done it again. After deciding to ban meat during the lunch breaks of the civic general body meeting, the mayor has decided to organise an Iftar party on behalf of the municipality on Monday.
The mayor Geeta Jain of the BJP send out invitations to corporators and well-known people inviting them for an Iftar party on Monday.The invitation cards carries her name, along with those of the municipal commissioner Achyut Hange and deputy mayor Praveen Patil of the Shiv Sena. Jain did not consult other corporators before taking a decision.
Patil said that the municipality was sending out a wrong signal by being associated with functions of a particular religion. He said that if the civic administration is keen on celebrating religious festivals and events, then it should do so for all religions. A proposal to that effect should then be passed in the civic house, he added.
The Iftar party is organised during the holy month of Ramzan. Congress corporator Zuber Inamdar said that the municipality had no business using public money for an Iftar party.
Jain had on June 30 faced criticism for banning meat from the lunch menu of civic meetings. The ban was lifted after corporators protested.