Monsoon session is historic for social justice push: Modi

NEW DELHI: The passage of a law granting constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) marks the fulfilment of a demand voiced by four generations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday in a meeting of the BJP parliamentary party, as he staked claim to “social harmony” and social justice platforms ahead of polls in crucial states later this year and next year’s elections. The NCBC law was passed by Rajya Sabha to “safeguard interests of socially and educationally backward classes more effectively”.

CONTINUED ON P 12 MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) maintains a road network of 1,950 kilometres. From 2012 to 2018, the civic body has spent ₹8,864.23 crore on the roads that you use. As you make your way past the potholes and rough patches, you may well wonder whether that money is being spent well.

It’s a fair question. Delhi has a road network of over 29,000 kilometres, maintained by four agencies.

Over the past three years, they’ve spent ₹ 4,267.68 crore, which works out to a little over ₹1,400 crore every year. The BMC also spends in the range of₹1,400 crore every year maintaining a far smaller a road network and yet, the roads in Delhi are, on average, far superior.

“I fail to understand how the country’s richest civic body has not figured out the right method to construct roads. The majority of our roads are in bad condition. Spending and amount of close to Rs 9, 000 crores cannot be taken lightly, as it is higher than the annual budget of several local government bodies,” said city activist Rishi Agarwal.

Every year, the BMC performs road repair and reconstruction works and points to the heavy concentration of traffic and trenching as reasons for the wear and tear.

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