MUMBAI, May 28 -- The civic standing committee has sought a third-party audit into conservation efforts by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) following complaints that heritage monuments are not being properly maintained. Even as the committee debated the issue, it approved a Rs.2.37-crore contract for the maintenance of a list of 16 heritage statues and six water fountains in the Fort heritage precinct, as reported by HT on May 26. Members of the committee, however, strongly objected to a statue of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray opposite Regal Cinema being excluded from the list. Standing committee member Shailesh Phanse said the statue was ill-maintained and the Sena had to spend on sprucing it up before important events such as anniversaries. He also urged the BMC administration to include the INS Vikrant memorial, located at the entrance to Yellow Gate, in its list of heritage monuments to be maintained. Standing committee members like Yamini Jadhav (Shiv Sena) questioned the very eligibility of heritage structures listed for annual maintenance. "One wonders what is the criteria for inclusion in the list of heritage statues? If the definition is of being by the British, how did the statue of Rajiv Gandhi at Cooperage get listed but not that of Bal Thackeray," asked Jadhav. Jadhav also said heritage conservation efforts were unsatisfactory, pointing to homeless and destitute individuals sitting at the base of the Khada Parsi (Seth Cursetjee Manockjee) statue located right opposite the BMC's E-ward office. Additional municipal commissioner (western suburbs) Vipin Sharma said the statue of Bal Thackeray is maintained by the local A-ward office and hence it was not included in the heritage list. He also said approved conservators were tasked with maintaining heritage statues in the Fort precinct. An official with the BMC 's heritage conservation cell said, "Since the statue of Bal Thackeray is located within the Fort heritage precinct, we can consider listing it for annual maintenance."...