Century-Old Mumbai Civic Hall Faces Space Crunch as Newly Elected Corporators Struggle to Find Seats
[By Sapna Desai Mumbai Samachar Desk]
Mumbai: Nearly four years later, newly elected corporators returned to the general municipal assembly hall, only to discover that the century-old chamber lacks adequate seating arrangements. On the day of the mayoral election, 24 elected Congress corporators had to remain standing throughout as there was no space available for them inside the hall, and following the resulting commotion, the municipal administration has now become proactive in resolving this issue before regular proceedings commence.
On Friday, Mayor Ritu Tawde convened a joint meeting with group leaders of all political parties in the civic body to discuss the seating arrangements in the general assembly hall. BJP group leader Ganesh Khankar stated, “The seating arrangement in the house is insufficient and uncomfortable. We have asked officials to examine whether additional benches can be installed. We expect the changes to be implemented within 15 days.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) group leader and former mayor Kishori Pednekar said, “The current seating arrangement in the house was designed to accommodate 250 people, including 227 corporators, municipal officers, and staff from the Municipal Secretary department. Now when the number of nominated corporators has increased from five to 10, where will they sit?”
Congress group leader Ashraf Azmi stated, “On the day of the mayoral election, Congress corporators had to stand throughout the entire proceedings because no seats were available. Now when the house becomes functional from next week, proper seating arrangements should be made.”
Established in 1893 with 64 corporators, the assembly hall is an emblem of the municipality’s political history. The house strength increased from 64 corporators in 1963 to 140, then to 170 in 1982, and reached 227 in 2002, which remains unchanged. Following the 2023 amendment, the number of nominated corporators increased from five to 10. The hall hosts key proceedings including the annual budget and general body meetings, where corporators discuss proposals related to Mumbai’s development and pass major resolutions.