Mumbai: Shiv Sena gets MHADA, CIDCO goes to BJP in the distribution of boards

Four years into their tenure, the state's warring ruling partners - BJP and Shiv Sena - have agreed to nominate political appointees to the state-controlled corporations and boards.

In all, 21 appointments were cleared by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, of which nine are from BJP, one from ally RPI and the rest from the Shiv Sena. The president and vice-president of such corporations enjoy the official status of cabinet minister and minister of state, respectively. They are entitled to perks such as official vehicles, office and staff. Earlier, they would have a beacon on their cars, but the practice stopped following a court ruling on the matter.

Politicians who cannot be accommodated in the council of ministers are generally given these important positions. In an alliance government, partners vie for more lucrative corporations and boards that get independent funding, and implement schemes that directly benefit the people. The appointments were delayed because of differences between the two parties.

As demanded, the Sena has got the president's post of Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Corporation (MHADA), while the BJP got City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO). Sena's MLA Uday Samant will head MHADA, and BJP's MLA Prashant Thakur will be CIDCO chief.

MHADA (state) vice-president is a senior IAS bureaucrat Milind Mhaiskar, who also doubled up as MD. CIDCO, too, has a similar arrangement, where senior IAS officer Lokesh Chandra is the VP and MD.

MHADA also has a Mumbai unit, which will be headed by BJP's spokesperson Madhu Chavan. Sena MLA Vinod Ghosalkar will be the chief of Mumbai Building and Repairs Board. BJP's Tariq Qureshi will be MHADA (Nagpur) chief. Sena leader and former bureaucrat Vijay Nahata will head the Mumbai Slum Development Board.

The Chief Minister's close aide from Nagpur, Sandip Joshi (BJP), will be the president of State Small Scale Industries Development Corporation. Sena's Jyoti Thakre will head the women's financial development corporation. Sena's Haji Arafat Shaikh has been given the president's post of state minority commission. BJP's Haji S Haider Azam will be in-charge of Maulana Azad Minority Financial Development Corporation.

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