MM : Coming soon: Janata roads : Oct 1, 2007
Coming soon: Janata roads
BMC decides to invite suggestions from citizens who can now specify what
roads need to be urgently repaired or rebuilt
SUDHIR SURYAWANSHI
Ever wondered why the roads relatively in a better condition than the
ones in your neighbourhood are being repaired while you continue to be
rattled every time you step out of your home?
If a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plan sees light of the day,
you, the citizen, will have the last word on what roads should be built or
repaired on a priority basis.
Fed up of squabbling corporators who clamour for road-building projects in
their constituencies, the civic body has decided to ask citizens to send
their suggestions either to ward officers or directly to BMC’s road
department on the condition of roads in their area. The aam aadmi can also
specify the roads that they think need urgent repairs or rebuilding.
Their suggestions, BMC officials say, will be taken into account while
building new roads.
According to a senior BMC official, corporators and leaders from rival
parties were perpetually locked in a battle with their own demands and
counter-demands and hence the need to involve citizens too.
“Such demands were quite confusing and many a times, they even led to a
scuffle between two groups in local area. So we decided to invite citizens’
suggestions,” he said.
D L Shinde, chief of the BMC’s road department, said once people send
their suggestions, a team of engineers will inspect the suggested site.
“If their demand is found to be in keeping with the civic norms and
requirement of locality, the design of the road will be prepared and the
tender will be floated accordingly,” he added. The entire process will take
at least four months.
OPPOSITION HAPPY
Vinod Shekhar, a Congress corporator, welcomed the move. “It will surely
help balance the developmental work. Usually, the ruling party corporators
press their demand and manage to get their work done. Also, after being
elected, a corporator would ignore the demand of those who had not supported
him. Thanks to this new decision, no single area will now be neglected,” he
said.
Each year, BMC spends more than Rs 15 crore to fill potholes, but to
little effect. This year, BMC has undertaken to build 150 roads with a
budget of Rs 613 crore.
Over the next five years, the road department has decided to construct
nearly 1001 km of roads.
WHAT THE NEW MOVE MEANS
It will bring down disparity in development works in various localities
Will remove bias in favour of the ruling party as far as new projects are
concerned
Many times, a corporator, once elected, would ignore demands of those
who hadn’t supported him. The new practice would help end vote politics in
localities
Publication:Mumbai Mirror; Date:Oct 1, 2007; Section:City; Page Number:2