Heated clashes between ruling and opposition parties in KMC GB, no hike in property tax and water bills

Kolhapur:The first general body meeting of the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) in five years descended into chaos on Wednesday, marked by heated exchanges between ruling and opposition factions and a standoff over the absence of the municipal secretary.The session was repeatedly disrupted by an uproar over civic amenities, eventually forcing the mayor to tender a public apology for the disorderly conduct of the house.The tension began the moment the meeting commenced. The opposition grew aggressive when they noticed municipal secretary Sunil Bidre was missing from the assembly hall. When Bidre finally arrived late, leader of the opposition Rajesh Latkar insisted he had no right to take his seat and demanded his immediate suspension."All corporators have been waiting for the municipal secretary since morning. Does he not understand the importance of time?" Latkar asked. "This is unacceptable; we will not tolerate such negligence. Bidre must be suspended." Mahayuti corporator Jayant Patil acknowledged the validity of the opposition's grievance, offering an assurance that such lapses would not occur in the future.The atmosphere remained charged as both opposition and ruling corporators adopted an aggressive stance against proposed revisions to property tax and water bill rates. KMC officials were left flustered as they struggled to answer a barrage of questions.In a surprising turn, members of the ruling Mahayuti faction — including Sharangdhar Deshmukh, Adil Faras, Rinku Desai, Ratnesh Shirolkar, Murlidhar Jadhav, Ashwin Ajrekar, Niyaz Khan, and Abhijit Khatkar — grilled the administration even more intensely than the opposition. They questioned why these hikes were being proposed now, rather than during the five-year period of "administrator's rule."Bowing to the pressure, the administration eventually declared that there would be no hike in property tax or water bill rates until the end of the coming fiscal year. However, the house did approve proposals regarding contractor registration fees and service charges for health and solid waste management.The meeting also laid bare political rifts within the ruling alliance. Shiv Sena group leader Sharangdhar Deshmukh and NCP group leader Adil Faras were seen engaged in a sharp exchange of words, highlighting ongoing friction between the two groups.In terms of civic infrastructure, Congress corporator Jayashree Chavan raised concern over the city's failing streetlights. In response, mayor Rouparani Nikam assured the house that Kolhapur would be "fully illuminated" within a few months.The session concluded with a focus on the KMC's financial health. BJP corporator Deepa Tanekar pointed out that a survey of 22,167 properties remains incomplete, leading to significant revenue losses. Citing an urgent need for a comprehensive re-survey, she demanded the mayor issue immediate directives to the administration to fix the leakages in property tax collection.