Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has changed the policy of the road works leading to stalling of road repairs. The road repair works in Dahisar was supposed to be conducted using asphalt, but due to a change in the policy, the administration has decided to carry out the work with cement concrete.
It has escalated the repair cost, which has invited the attention of the BMC’s Vigilance Department, which has initiated a probe. Therefore, the roads ridden with potholes have become a nightmare for citizens.
Pothole-studded roads in Mumbai has always remained a burning issue. Due to the change in BMC policy, contracts of road repair works have triggered several controversies.
All the party corporators have criticised the idea of the changed policy, according to which, the corporation used to keep 20 per cent of the total cost of the work as security deposit.
At the end of the road warranty period, as decided between the two parties, the amount used to be returned to the contractor.
The new BMC policy mandated the security amount to 40 per cent. Further, the administration decided to lay cement concrete roads instead of asphalt.
It has become a bone of contention due to which most of the road repairs in Mumbai have been stalled.
Sheetal Mhatre, the BMC Law Committee Chairman, said at a recent meeting under the chairmanship of Mayor Kishori Pednekar, and attended by Shiv Sena MLA Vilas Potnis and Sena corporators, it was informed that road repairs were stalled in Dahisar.
Nine roads in R North ward were to be carpeted of asphalt. But, the administration decided to lay cement roads. It has been 10 months since the decision was taken, but the work was yet to be started. “The road repair policy has been changed escalating the cost.
The vigilance department has been scrutinising the road works and the inquiry is underway. Until the Vigilence probe is over, the works are stalled, troubling the citizens,” said Mhatre.
The mayor has called a meeting on Monday with civic chief Praveen Pardeshi to chalk out future course.
