Navi Mumbai: Alleging large-scale irregularities and poor construction quality in ongoing roadworks, the Citizens’ Forum for Vigilance and Accountability has filed a formal complaint with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde against the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC).
The forum has raised serious concerns about the substandard quality of cement roads being constructed across the city despite significant expenditure from the public exchequer.
The NMMC has launched a widespread initiative to convert existing bitumen roads into cement concrete ones, in line with its vision of making Navi Mumbai a pothole-free city. Citing the short lifespan of bitumen roads and their tendency to develop frequent potholes, the civic body has floated contracts worth crores of rupees for cement roads in every ward- stated the forum in the letter.
“Roads are a reflection of governance. Until Navi Mumbai’s roads are truly durable and corruption-free, citizens will not have faith in promises of transparent administration. Declarations must translate into action if they are to be believed,” said Dr. Vishal Mane, member of the Citizens’ Forum and a former police officer.
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Forum members allege that the implementation of this project has been marred by poor oversight, lack of transparency, and unnecessary excavation of roads that were in good condition. They claim that the policy is being misused to benefit vested interests under the guise of infrastructure development.
Despite repeatedly submitting complaints to the Municipal Commissioner and City Engineer, no concrete action has been taken to address their concerns. As a result, the forum has now approached the Chief Minister directly, seeking intervention.
The forum had earlier pointed out cracks that developed shortly after the construction of cement roads at Shivaji Chowk in Vashi and in front of the Belapur petrol pump. While NMMC issued notices to the concerned engineers, no significant corrective action was taken. Recently, fresh complaints have been submitted with photographic evidence of damage to the cement road in front of the Belapur bus depot.
While cement roads are a part of state policy, the forum emphasized that roads in good condition should not be replaced unnecessarily. They have proposed a set of corrective measures to ensure quality and accountability:
Prevent unnecessary replacement of well-maintained bitumen roads.
Establish an independent vigilance and quality control department.
Mandate site inspections by engineers before planning new roadwork.
Conduct surprise quality checks of ready-mix concrete during construction.
Review discrepancies between market rates and municipal contract rates.
Link road quality performance to the confidential service reports of junior and senior engineering staff.
Set road defect liability periods on par with those in developed countries and progressive Indian states.
