BMC plans hi-tech gyms for citizens from corporators’ fund

Citizens in the city will soon have access to hi-tech gymnasiums at low costs thanks to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

The health conscious BMC wants to build these gymnasiums for Mumbaikars, to keep them fit and slim, by using the corporators’ fund.

“These gyms will be for people who can’t afford the hi-end gyms in their area. Our gyms will have all the required hi-tech facilities,” said Sadanand Surve, chairman of works committee (suburbs).

He added, “Nowadays people are too conscious about their health. Seeing the rising need for gyms, we have decided to build it for people using money from the corporators’ fund.”

Each corporator gets Rs35 lakh every year to spend in his or her ward. The sum is not handed over to the corporators but the civic body sanctions works of up to Rs35 lakh going by the corporators’ recommendations.

The proposal will be discussed in the next committee meeting. “We have invited contractors for the project. However, the administration has kept Rs50 lakh per corporator for the gym, which is too less to build a high-tech gym. We have asked the administration to study and get back to us in the next meeting,” added Surve.

The corporators’ fund has often been at the centre of controversy as citizen groups have been alleging that it leads to corruption due to a nexus between contractors and corporators. The fund is mostly used for building community halls and laying tiles on pavements.