Mumbai Masala: Making the BMC work

A Gujarati restaurant in the heart of Matunga

Matunga now has a huge Gujju population. The south Indians have been edged out to Chembur, Mulund, Thane, etc. Only their temples remain. On Telang Road you have the Bhajana Samaj, Kanyaka Parameswari temple, Shiv Mandir and Shankara Mattham. On Bhandarkar Road there is Asthika Samaj. On Adenwala Road there is Deshika Bhavanam and further down you have the Marubai and Hanuman temples.

There are a number of south Indian restaurants, but only one Gujju joint. There used to be a small Gujju thali place in the Mahavir building, but with its redevelopment, the eatery has vanished. Now the area is left with only one restaurant. It is located at Gujarati Club near the now-defunct Aurora cinema. Called Rangoli, the restaurant is open to non-members of the club as well, but they have to pay an entry fee. The USP of the place is the Rajwadi vegetarian thali. The service is very efficient and the range of food is amazing. There are starters like mini batata vadas, kothimbir vadis, etc. Then there is farsan of the day including khaman dhokla, khandvi and patra. Sabzis are made of seasonal veggies. In crispies, you have masala papad, keecha, etc. Jal jeera or chhaas keeps you cool while you tuck into the ‘garam’ chapatis as thin as handkerchiefs and rotlas.

Making the BMC work

The BMC undertakes an annual ritual of desilting stormwater drains and nullahs. Nothing wrong with that. But the problem is that mounds of silt are kept heaped outside the drains and nullahs for days on end. If it rains in between the muck finds its way back into the gutters. A simple solution would be to dump the muck directly into trucks from the drains. But BMC engineers argue that wet silt will be heavier and the civic body will be required to pay more. Hence they let the silt dry before being picked up. But what about the stuff getting back into the drains? There is obviously a racket here just like in so many other areas of BMC’s functioning.

Many employees rake in huge money by not demolishing illegal structures, by not removing hawkers and roadside eateries that sell unhygienic pani puris, ragda patties, etc. The licence department is notorious for not taking action against hawkers who have invaded our streets. Meanwhile, the corporation has made driving very dangerous by ‘beautifying’ road junctions. It has erected walls to make flowerbeds, but in the process, it has blocked the view of vehicles coming from the side roads. Maybe it requires a PIL to set things right.

Hoardings mar city

An ACTIVIST TAKES ON THE BABUS

Noted civic activist Kamlakar Shenoy has taken on bureaucrats who refuse to meet citizens and refuse access to documents as mandated by law. Recently, Shenoy went to the office of Additional Municipal Commissioner Asheesh Sharma to inspect the complaint register.

According to Shenoy, as per a GR all officials are required to maintain a complaints register. However, no such register is maintained in this office. Shenoy rightly says that most officials do not bother to reply to mails or even to hard copies of complaints. Applications under Right to Information Act are mechanically forwarded to other departments so that the applicant gets disheartened and stops pursuing the issue concerned.

Many officials, including assistant municipal commissioners, do not come to offices on time. If their whereabouts are asked, the standard reply of the peon is ‘saheb’ has gone to head office. You consider yourself particularly lucky if your telephone calls are returned. Shenoy has now started a website, kamlakarshenoy.com, to guide citizens on formats of complaints, action against corrupt officials, illegal constructions, etc.

Compiled by S Balakrishnan

Published on: Monday, May 15, 2023, 09:39 AM IST