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Members including office bearers and former municipal corporators attached to the local unit of the BJP hit the roads on Thursday to register their protest against the battered condition of roads which continues to cause several fatal mishaps on the stretch between Kashimira junction and Golden Nest Circle in Bhayandar which is riddled with potholes.
This despite the fact that nearly Rs.22 crore had been spent under the aegis the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) towards the construction of the road in 2022. Led by former legislator- Narendra Mehta, the agitators launched the protest in the form of a symbolic 'Gaddha Bharo' (fill potholes) agitation by carrying baskets filled with filling material and ploughs which were used to repair the potholes.
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The agitators also shouted slogans against the authorities, contractor and mainly sitting legislator- Geeta Jain who had inaugurated the road while assuring longevity of the construction. “The battered condition of roads in less than two years clearly indicates a huge scam in which kickbacks were paid to pass bills despite inferior quality construction. The sitting MLA had given a letter seeking blacklisting of the contractor within 24 hours, but nothing materialised as it was nothing but a mere eyewash. We have requested a probe into the matter.” said Mehta.
When contacted, Jain said, “Even though 80 percent of the potholes had been repaired in the past one week, I have already sought action against the contractor for the inferior quality work and the concerned engineers who issued an all-fit certificate. Regarding the agitation it was more of pre pre-poll political gimmick.”
A delegation of agitators later met municipal commissioner-Sanjay Katkar and handed over a memorandum seeking his intervention in communicating with the state government authorities to ensure that the concerned contractor is not only blacklisted but the entire payment is recovered so that the road is reconstructed at the earliest.
“There is no question of playing politics ahead of the elections. We have been conducting agitations on citizen-oriented issues for the past couple of years.” said BJP leader Sanjay Tharthare.
Next month, the MBMC will complete two years under an administrator’s rule, making it the longest tenure the civic body has functioned without elected representatives since its elevation to corporation status in 2002.
