Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former environment minister Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday criticised the government for its “contractor-driven” response to air pollution and ridiculed measures such as road-washing and mist-spraying in Mumbai
The city’s air quality was “terrible” and multiple guidelines issued by the BMC since January this year have not been followed, he alleged.
“We had worked a lot on the environment. Who is the environment minister in the current government?” Thackeray asked, adding that unregulated construction sites were worsening air pollution.
Private developers must stop work: Aaditya Thackeray
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“The government should ask private developers to stop work, instead of regulating public works,” Thackeray said. He took potshots at Guardian Minister for Mumbai Suburban District Mangalprabhat Lodha and said: “But how would that happen when a developer has become a guardian minister?”
The former minister said four contractors who were yet to start cement concretisation work on Mumbai’s roads must be blacklisted and investigated.
He alleged that Chief Minister Ekanth Shinde was initially hesitant to sign the termination order of ₹1600-crore road cement concretisation work given to a contractor, but did so late at night.
“For the last 11 months, I have been saying this work is a scam,” the MLA from Worli said.
“Every time the air quality is terrible, the BMC comes together and tries to help a new contractor,” Thackeray said.
Shinde was busy trying to save his government and no one was listening to the people of the state, he added.
Diwali bonus
The Shinde government had forgotten to announce Diwali bonus for BMC and BEST staffers but announced a bonus of ₹26,000 just six to seven hours after he put out a message on social media, Aaditya Thackeray claimed.
