The Mayor and the RBI Governor

The Mayor and the RBI Governor

He is supposed to be the first citizen of India's richest metropolis, but the Mayor's sprawling official bungalow at Cadell Road is falling apart with disrepair. At a meeting convened there sometime last year, a leading architect was itching to be able to do something to restore its excellent architecture. When he mentioned the possibility, the then Mayor simply laughed and said forget about luxuries, there were no funds even for repairs.

During the monsoon, a few rooms actually had to have buckets placed to collect water leaking through the ceiling. Contrast this with the RBI Governor's house at the post Altamount Road. This already magnificent bungalow is getting a face-lift wortharoundl Rs 55.25 lakh and the final cost will be higher. At least Rs 7.5 lakh is being spent for air-conditioning and Rs 5 lakh each to redo the kitchen and the bathrooms with Italian marble and designer Jaguar fittings. This is one government job which allows the top brass to live like kings. Even otherwise, the RBI is notsubject to scrutiny by the CAG.