Mumbai: BJP MLA Ameet Satam knocks on CM’s door over potholes

BJP MLA Ameet Satam (from Andheri West) has written to CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to bring their attention to two core issues of Mumbai – potholes and unorganised hawkers – seeking proper planning. He said that despite spending Rs 21,000 crore in the last 24 years on Mumbai roads, their condition is deplorable.

“I would like to bring to your notice the long pending problem of roads and potholes in Mumbai that has not been resolved due to lack of planning, foresight, and thought,” he wrote in the letter.

Suggesting a new tender condition, Satam said, “I would like to request you to instruct BMC to issue only three tenders – one each for the western suburbs, eastern suburbs, and the city – instead of small tenders for each road. The terms of the tender should be such that only large infrastructure companies working with the Government of India and the National Highways Authority of India can participate in the tender and should have worked with the BMC for years.”

“There should be a provision for making utility corridors in the road tender itself to avoid repeated digging and pitting for laying various utilities like water, gas, electricity, internet, etc. It is worth noting that the roads in the city are in a state of disrepair due to continuous, unplanned digging for various reasons,” the letter reads.

Highlighting the problem of unorganised hawkers, he said, “The hawkers’ issue has become peculiar and needs to be regulated. Zonal town vending committees have identified hawking zones and made 1.28 lakh hawkers eligible for allotment of pitches. However, the previous government unwisely suspended the process till the new 2019 survey completion. I would like to request you to give the hawking pitches in the designated hawking zone to eligible applicants and clear our remaining roads and footpaths,” he added

Published on: Thursday, July 28, 2022, 09:45 AM IST