Why can't you clean up Mumbai? FM asks India Inc

Chiding corporate India for its unwillingness to share responsibility in making Mumbai a clean and gleaming city, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said, "It is very easy to blame the 'powers to be', which we can't mend, but I am sure it doesn't cost much to clean and maintain playgrounds, parks and public buildings".

Chidambaram was speaking at the interactive session organised by Raj Shroff, chairman, trade and commerce cell, Mumbai Congress, with captains of the Indian industry.

Chidambaram emphasised the need to take forward the concept of public-private-partnership from the current format where the government gives the contracts of different infrastructure projects to the investors who ask for the least concessions or offer maximum revenue sharing to the government.

He said the initiative was coming from the government or public institutions but not from the private players. The latter can also come forward, identify projects and ask for support from the government or government-run institutions, he added.