With an eye on the ensuing Maharashtra assembly elections, Navi Mumbai district chief of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Sandeep Naik has set priorities on raising issues that concern the satellite city and laid a thrust on proper coordination between government agencies to resolve the same. He advocated the need for joint meetings between government agencies such as CIDCO, NMMC, MMRDA and MIDC on a regular basis to chalk out a full-proof plan for resolution of the issues plaguing the city.
“The major issue that the city is facing today is scarcity of drinking water. This is because agencies such as CIDCO and MIDC, that mainly supply water to Navi Mumbai, don’t have proper coordination between them. During the last standing committee meeting, of which I was the chairman, it was decided that NMMC should get a full quota of water from MIDC’s Barvi dam to quench the thirst of Navi Mumbaikars, but the administration failed to follow-up with MIDC. As a result, the city’s water woes continue. We, as people’s representatives and social workers, have been raising the issues and providing solutions to the authorities, but the administration seems to be ignoring the same,” Naik said during an informal chat on Thursday.
Stating that with the civic body (NMMC) not in ‘control’ of local corporators or standing committee since 2019, Naik said the civic administration has been working as per its whims and fancies. “Even the traffic improvement plan should be uniformed in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). However, it remains on the paper since government bodies fail to come on one page as far as its implementation is concerned,” he regretted.
Asked as to why Navi Mumbai’s DPR was prepared for the first time since its inception, the two-time former legislator said he fought tooth and nail to ensure that the CIDCO administration gives possession of the entire city to NMMC, but it didn’t happen. “I also raised the issue with the urban development department, but it didn’t budge to our requests. Since CIDCO is an autonomous body, we have to fight for everything and we will keep fighting till our demands are not met,” Naik said.
Categorically saying that he will not tolerate any disturbance to Navi Mumbai’s ecosystem, Naik, son of former minister Ganesh Naik, said he has always been fighting for the betterment of the city and will continue to do so. “We will not accept contractor-oriented or builder-oriented works to be undertaken in the city. We are for complete transparency in the system and will fight those who will not follow the same. Our document on Vision 2050 is very clear and will see to it that it is followed.” On a query whether he will be fighting elections from Belapur constituency, Naik said his party workers want him to contest the polls.
