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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Shinde dilutes demand

Likely to be content with Deputy Mayor’s post in Mumbai Mumbai: In a decisive shift that redraws the power dynamics of Maharashtra’s urban politics, the standoff over the prestigious Mumbai Mayor’s post has ended with a strategic compromise. Following days of resort politics and intense backroom negotiations, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has reportedly diluted its demand for the top job in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), settling instead for the Deputy Mayor’s post. This...

Shinde dilutes demand

Likely to be content with Deputy Mayor’s post in Mumbai Mumbai: In a decisive shift that redraws the power dynamics of Maharashtra’s urban politics, the standoff over the prestigious Mumbai Mayor’s post has ended with a strategic compromise. Following days of resort politics and intense backroom negotiations, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has reportedly diluted its demand for the top job in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), settling instead for the Deputy Mayor’s post. This development, confirmed by high-ranking party insiders, follows the realization that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) effectively ceded its claims on the Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) to protect the alliance, facilitating a “Mumbai for BJP, Kalyan for Shinde” power-sharing formula. The compromise marks a complete role reversal between the BJP and the Shiv Sena. Both the political parties were in alliance with each other for over 25 years before 2017 civic polls. Back then the BJP used to get the post of Deputy Mayor while the Shiv Sena always enjoyed the mayor’s position. In 2017 a surging BJP (82 seats) had paused its aggression to support the undivided Shiv Sena (84 seats), preferring to be out of power in the Corporation to keep the saffron alliance intact. Today, the numbers dictate a different reality. In the recently concluded elections BJP emerged as the single largest party in Mumbai with 89 seats, while the Shinde faction secured 29. Although the Shinde faction acted as the “kingmaker”—pushing the alliance past the majority mark of 114—the sheer numerical gap made their claim to the mayor’s post untenable in the long run. KDMC Factor The catalyst for this truce lies 40 kilometers north of Mumbai in Kalyan-Dombivali, a region considered the impregnable fortress of Eknath Shinde and his son, MP Shrikant Shinde. While the BJP performed exceptionally well in KDMC, winning 50 seats compared to the Shinde faction’s 53, the lotter for the reservation of mayor’s post in KDMC turned the tables decisively in favor of Shiv Sena there. In the lottery, the KDMC mayor’ post went to be reserved for the Scheduled Tribe candidate. The BJP doesn’t have any such candidate among elected corporatros in KDMC. This cleared the way for Shiv Sena. Also, the Shiv Sena tied hands with the MNS in the corporation effectively weakening the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s alliance with them. Party insiders suggest that once it became clear the BJP would not pursue the KDMC Mayor’s chair—effectively acknowledging it as Shinde’s fiefdom—he agreed to scale down his demands in the capital. “We have practically no hope of installing a BJP Mayor in Kalyan-Dombivali without shattering the alliance locally,” a Mumbai BJP secretary admitted and added, “Letting the KDMC become Shinde’s home turf is the price for securing the Mumbai Mayor’s bungalow for a BJP corporator for the first time in history.” The formal elections for the Mayoral posts are scheduled for later this month. While the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA)—led by the Shiv Sena (UBT)—has vowed to field candidates, the arithmetic heavily favors the ruling alliance. For Eknath Shinde, accepting the Deputy Mayor’s post in Mumbai is a tactical retreat. It allows him to consolidate his power in the MMR belt (Thane and Kalyan) while remaining a partner in Mumbai’s governance. For the BJP, this is a crowning moment; after playing second fiddle in the BMC for decades, they are poised to finally install their own “First Citizen” of Mumbai.

The Hidden Cost of Care: Biomedical Waste in Hospitals

Every hospital admission, no matter how small, generates waste. As India’s healthcare sector grows, so does the urgency to manage biomedical waste responsibly.

In my last week‘s article, I discussed Sunita’s hospitalisation and the subsequent generation of biomedical waste. Her treatment involved intravenous administration of drugs. So a plastic IV set was used. After the procedure was complete, the IV set was discarded in the trash bin. The drugs worked, and she was discharged from the hospital in a couple of days.


However, if she had had further complications and if surgery were to be performed, much more waste would be generated. Sunita is just a representative example. Just like her, whenever any patient is admitted to the hospital for treatment, waste generation begins.


The type and the volume of waste generated depend on the nature of the treatment prescribed by the concerned doctors. However, the quantity of waste also relies on the growth of the healthcare sector.


So, let us first review this sector.


In India, the healthcare sector has become one of the largest sectors, both in terms of revenue and employment. As of FY24, this sector has employed 7.5 million people. In the current year, the CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) is expected to rise to 22.5 per cent, up from 17 per cent in 2022.


The government aims to develop India as a global healthcare hub. The Indian healthcare market, which was valued at US$ 110 billion in FY16, is now projected to reach US$ 638 billion by FY25. India’s public expenditure on healthcare is expected to be 1.9 per cent of GDP in FY26, compared to 2.5 per cent in FY25, as per the Economic Survey 2024-25.


The sector is witnessing unprecedented growth. Private equity and venture capital investments surpassed US$ 1 billion in the first five months of FY24, marking a 220 per cent increase from the previous year.


India benefits from the availability of a large pool of well-trained medical professionals. This sector is anticipated to grow further, creating over 6.3 million additional jobs by 2030.


The government has allocated Rs. 99,858 crore (US$ 11.50 billion) to the healthcare sector in the Union Budget 2025–26. This allocation is meant for the development, maintenance, and enhancement of the country’s healthcare system. It reflects a 9.78 per cent increase from the previous allocation of Rs. 90,958 crore (US$ 10.47 billion) in FY25. To boost the country’s healthcare infrastructure, the Indian government is planning to introduce a credit incentive programme worth Rs 50,000 crores (US$ 6.8 billion).


Several factors are driving this growth, including rising income levels, an aging population, growing health awareness, and changing attitudes toward preventive healthcare.


There is also a significant increase in medical tourism. The lower cost of medical services in India attracts patients from around the world. To promote medical tourism, the government is extending the e-medical visa facility to citizens of 156 countries.


Moreover, India has emerged as a hub for R&D activities for international players due to the relatively low cost of clinical research.


Growing health awareness, precautionary treatments, and improved diagnostics are also leading to increased hospitalisations.


While we, the citizens and the government, should feel proud of the growth and revenue in the healthcare sector, we must not ignore the rising quantity of biomedical waste it generates.


More on this in my next article.

Until then, have a good weekend.

(Source: IBEF-India Brand Equity Foundation)


(The writer is an environmentalist.)

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