Mumbai, August 7, 2013:  Though the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal refused to pay the Rs 23.56-lakh fine levied on it for digging 953 pits on roads to erect a bridge to the pandal last year, the BMC has given it permission to proceed with the festivities this year. Lalbaugcha RajaSarvajanikGaneshotsavMandal, one of the biggestmandals in the city, had refused to pay fine of Rs23.56 lakh for digging 953 holes on the road to erect a bridge to the pandal for devotees' queue.

It appears that the civic administration succumbed to political pressure and gave Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, one of the biggest and most popular mandalin the city, permission to erect the pandal and bridge this festival, too.

"We have allowed the Lalbaugcha Raja Ganpati Mandal to erect pandal and bridge for the festival.

Till now, no decision has been taken on waiving the fine. If required, we will collect it from the mandal's property tax," said additional municipal commissioner Mohan Adtani.

The mandal officials, however, refuse to take responsibility of digging the pits on roads. "The issue of holes on roads does not arise as we had erected only ramps and railings during Ganeshotsav. We challenge the civic officials to show us the holes first and then impose the fine. Civic officials have showed holes on roads where we had not even erected anything," claimed a mandal official.

The BMC has also fined the Ganesh Gully Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal Rs 5 lakh for similar violations last year, but the mandal is yet to contact BMC for erecting a pandal this year. tnnThe Lalbaugcha Raja is Mumbai's most-visited Ganpati in the city during the Ganeshotsav, with an estimated 11 million people visiting it in 2012. Its cash-rich Mandal has a whopping Rs 14.5 crore in fixed deposits.

Source: The Times of India, August 7, 2013