RTO offices under cables worry visitors NMMC electrical dept to get 2 ladder vans to fix street lights

The Navi Mumbai Deputy RTO office has started three offices under high-tension cables near APMC. Since container boxes have been used for the office purpose, the personnel and those visiting the offices face grave danger to their lives.

The RTO does not have an office of its own in the city. The head office functions from rented APMC shops. Those giving driving tests for two-wheelers too have to do so under the high tension cable areas.

As per norms, only greenery is developed under high tension cables. However, the RTO has made a godown here. Hundreds of seized vehicles have been virtually dumped here. In the rest of the area, containers have been installed for 3 offices. High-tension cables at APMC pose danger to residents and visitors.

The officials and personnel sit in them. There is also a concrete construction in one area.

Harish Desai, a visitor to the RTO office , said: “The authorities responsible for implementing the law of the land and explaining traffic rules to us are themselves violating it. This could be very dangerous.”

He said, “Who will be responsible if a cable snaps and there is a major incident? It is also not necessary that one comes in contact with the cables, their waves are so strong that even those at some distance can be killed as it happened in Turbhe recently.”

Dilip Adige, a resident, said that the plot has been taken on temporary basis by RTO from CIDCO. “No permission has been taken from NMMC for any construction,” Adige said.

He asked, “NMMC has been going after illegal constructions in the city in a major drive, will it now act against the RTO?”

Adige said CIDCO has given a plot to RTO in Nerul, which has not yet been developed. “Instead, people are being forced to risk their lives under the high tension cables here,” he said.

RTO officials were not available for comment.

The NMMC standing committee has approved a proposal for the construction of two ladder vans of 13 metre height on a chassis purchased by the civic body for its electrical department.

The contract has been awarded to Anthony Garages Pvt. Ltd. for Rs 37.49 lakh.

According to deputy municipal commissioner Dadasaheb Chabukswar, “NMMC has eight wards and MIDC area where at present five ladder van vehicles are deployed for repair and maintenance of street lights.”

He said, “Of these, two ladder van vehicles were purchased in 1999 and so they are 17 years old now. This has led to an increased maintenance cost of the vehicles.”

Chabukswar said, “We now plan to construct 2 new ladder vans and write off the two old vans. One new ladder van will be used for NMMC headquarters and one for MIDC area in NMMC jurisdiction. The three other vans were purchased in 2009 and are working in good condition.”

The civic body had called for tenders for the construction of the body thrice but failed to get any response from other than Anthony Garages.

It had quoted 19% above the estimate price of 2013. Following negotiations, the contract price was brought down to the estimate price. As per the present A three-day exhibition, Snake a photographic exhibition, began at Balak Mandir School in Kalyan from Wednesday. Jaya Waghmare, founder and president of ZEST, an NGO which has organised the exhibition, said “We have displayed photographs of 27 species of non-venomous, mildly venomous and venomous snakes which are common in Konkan region.” The exhibition is opened from 10am to 5pm. market rate, the contract value actually works out to less than 25% of the market rate of Rs 46.98 lakh.

The standing committee members demanded that more such vans be purchased for the city.

Corporator Ashok Gurkhe said, “Only five vans for the city are inadequate. This has resulted in delays in repairs despite repeated complaints. There are also a number of high masts in the city which are not functioning properly.”

Gurkhe said, “NMMC can certainly afford to make additional purchases. It will benefit the people as the street lights will function properly and faults will be attended to at the earliest. There should be at least one ladder for each of the eight wards.”

The anti-extortion cell of Navi Mumbai crime branch has solved the case of theft of photocopy machines from Taloja last year.

The police have arrested 1 person for the theft of the machines and their accessories totally worth around Rs22 lakh. Rs 20 lakh worth of property has been recovered from him.

The machines and their accessories had been stolen from a godown in Taloja last year. Taloja police had then registered case against an unidentified person. The police had however failed to nab the culprit.

According to deputy commissioner of police (crime) Dilip Sawant, “Recently, we received a tip-off that the accused would be in Turbhe MIDC area. A trap was laid by the anti-extortion cell.”

He said, “We managed to arrest Harish Gajora, 29, the accused, a resident of Kamothe. It was after 10 months of the crime that he had returned to the MIDC area.”

He added, “Following interrogation, he confessed to the crime and also revealed where he had hidden the stolen property.”

The police have recovered nine photocopy machines, fiery parts, toner, machine drum and so on worth Rs20.12 lakh.

RISHIKESH CHOUDHARY