5 MNS workers ransack PWD office, held

NAVI MUMBAI : Angry over the resurfacing of potholes on the Sion-panvel highway, five Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers on Monday ransacked the public works department (PWD) office in Turbhe in Navi Mumbai on Monday morning.

As the workers reached the office, the three staff members fled. The MNS workers threw chairs and tables, broke window panes and damaged the computers. They raised slogans in support of party chief Raj Thackeray and against PWD ministers Chandrakant Patil, Eknath Shinde and Pravin Pote. They demanded the highway be freed of potholes.

The MNS workers – Nitin Khanvilkar, Nitin Chavan, Raju Khade, Vishal Bhilare, Shyam Dhamale – surrendered at APMC police station in the evening, after which they were arrested. According to the police, PWD chief engineer Kishore Patil registered a case against the men. Patil, however, refused to comment.

MNS city secretary Sandeep Galugade said, “Despite spending ₹1,200-crore on widening the highway, the potholes have emerged. In the past two years, more than 100 lives have been lost because of this. The state and PWD have done little to correct the situation. If we don’t see action soon, we will hold a similar protest at Mantralaya.”

Satish Nikam, senior police inspector of APMC police station, said, “The men have been booked under Prevention of Damage of Public Property Act, 1984. They were produced in court in the evening and have been remanded in judicial custody for a day. They have been lodged at Taloja jail.”

Despite spending ₹1,200 crore on widening the highway, the potholes have emerged. In the past two years, more than 100 lives have been lost because of this. The state and PWD have done little to correct it. SANDEEP GALUGADE , MNS city secretary