BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar on Wednesday demanded a white paper on the water situation in the city and said a “single family” that had “ruled” the BMC for 25 years was to blame for Mumbaikars’ water woes.
Speaking in the legislative assembly, the Bandra (West) legislator said that during the quarter century of the family’s rule, the BMC collected Rs30,000 crore in taxes, but Mumbaikars did not get adequate water supply.
"The family (the Thackerays) that ruled the BMC had its mayor and standing committee chief, but they failed to ensure adequate water supply to the people," he said.
Shelar demands investigation
The BMC on Tuesday implemented a 15% cut in water supply across Mumbai and neighbouring areas till March 5 after a fire damaged a transformer in a pumping station based in Thane, affecting water supply. Shelar said the 24-hour water supply scheme has failed and demanded an investigation.
“I demand that a white paper be published on the city’s water situation in a month,” he added. Shelar said the aspirations of Mumbaikars have remained unfulfilled and claimed disparity in water supply between the island city and its suburbs.
“A 24-hour water supply scheme was implemented on a pilot basis in two wards – Mulund and Bandra (West). For this Rs400 crore was paid to the consultant, but the scheme has completely failed. The Shiv Sena (UBT) is responsible for this,” he claimed.
Shelar on Metro works' expenditure
The Bandra (West) MLA also said the Metro works' expenditure in Mumbai escalated by Rs10,000 crore as the erstwhile MVA government held up related projects.
He said Metro works were held up for two years when the MVA was in power. "The Shiv Sena (UBT) deprived Mumbaikars of the ease of travelling for two years. So far, eight crore people have travelled by metro trains since they began operations. Every day, 2.35 lakh people use the metro,” the BJP leader said.
He said carbon emissions and pollution might have increased due to the delay in implementing Metro projects. The civic body had not ensured enough parking places, Shelar said, and requested the state government to prepare a mega parking plan.
“I am not opposed to the proposal to sell the MSRDC (Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation) plot to extend the Bandra-Versova Sea Link till Palghar, but a garden should be constructed on the excess land,” he added.
Shelar also put forward a proposal to congratulate Chief Minister Eknath Shinder and his deputies Devendra Fadanvis and Ajit Pawar for development work in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik and Nagpur.
