BMC gives green signal to road work worth Rs 1.8k crore in city
MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) standing committee headed by the Shiv Sena cleared road repair works in the city at Rs 1,800 crore- 18% below the estimation of Rs 2,200 crore by the BMC’S administration.
This is despite corporators across party lines raising concerns about whether the contractors, who bid that BMC’S estimated cost just to get the contract, would end up building poor quality roads to earn profit. However, barring members of the opposition BJP, they voted in favour of the proposal citing upcoming elections and the condition of the roads requiring repairs before the next monsoon.
According to BMC estimations, the proposed repair work across the city, western and eastern suburbs include both major and minor a total of 808 roads. For this, Rs 2,200 crore was estimated to be spent. However, in the meeting of the civic standing committee, the proposals to give contracts for Rs 1,800 crore, which was 18% below the estimated cost.
BJP members walked out of the meeting demanding rollback of the proposal, while Shiv Sena with the support from Congress and NCP, showed green light to the same. The BJP had demanded that proper details should be given by BMC as to why contracts are being given at lower rates than the estimations followed by technical details regarding the road contracts.
However, corporators across party including Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP backed the proposals citing upcoming elections wherein corporators have to show face to the citizens.
Vishaka Raut, Shiv Sena Corporator and group leader of the Sena in the BMC, said, “We need to understand that we have been working for the citizens over the last five years. Now we need to see what works we do for citizens in the last few months. Hence, we should be passing these proposals without any further delay.”
The current tenure of the corporators is ending on March 7, 2022, and the elections are expected in the last week of February or the first week of March.
Prabhakar Shinder, BJP’ group leader in the BMC said, “There are no details in the proposal as to what is the length, width of the individual roads that are being taken up for repair works. The third-party auditors that will monitor the quality of road repair works are yet not appointed. So, why are we going ahead with passing the proposal at much lower rates?”
Ravi Raja, the leader of Opposition in the BMC and Congress Corporator said, “I agree that the contracts are being awarded at a much lower price and we need to appoint a third-party auditor to monitor repair works, but this does not mean we delay the work. We need to pass the proposal and ensure administration gives good quality of roads to the citizens.”