Ambernath Municipal Council held a special meeting at the Dharmveer Anand Dighe Theatre on Friday after leakage and recurring maintenance problems affected the civic body’s recently built administrative headquarters, according to a report by Loksatta – Thane.
The meeting was shifted from the municipal building to avoid disruption after the council’s main office and meeting hall reportedly developed extensive leakage during the monsoon. The building, inaugurated about two to three years ago, was constructed with two floors and provision for a council hall. Work on the remaining two floors was still under way, the report said.
The municipal headquarters has also faced other reported problems, including sections of plaster of Paris falling from offices and the council hall. The sound system was frequently malfunctioning, while the air-conditioning system had also developed repeated faults, according to the report.
The decision to use the theatre followed an earlier adjourned special meeting. The council reportedly chose the cultural venue so that the proceedings could take place without further interruption. It was the first time the theatre, commonly used for plays and cultural programmes, hosted an Ambernath civic council meeting instead of a performance.
The use of the theatre for the meeting drew criticism from art and culture enthusiasts in the city, the report said. The venue is regularly made available for cultural events and theatrical performances, and its use for a political meeting was viewed by some citizens as an inappropriate repurposing of a public cultural facility.
The special meeting also saw a verbal confrontation between members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena. Shiv Sena member Rajendra Walekar reportedly said action should be taken if municipal officials were not following the municipal president’s orders. BJP councillors objected to the remark, leading to an argument between members of the two parties.
The dispute came despite recent discussion that the two groups had reached a settlement. The proceedings indicated that disagreements between the ruling parties remained unresolved, according to the report. The immediate administrative impact of the confrontation was not detailed.
The meeting has placed renewed attention on the condition of Ambernath’s municipal headquarters and the management of unfinished or defective civic infrastructure. The council’s next steps on repairs, building completion and the continued use of the theatre for official meetings were not specified in the report.
