NCP ‘searches’ for bus stops

UNIQUE CAMPAIGN! Party protests against Thane Municipal Transport for neglecting Mumbra

‘Kaha Gaya Use Dhoondo’ is a song from the Bollywood blockbuster ‘Three Idiots’. Well, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) used the lyrics as part of a unique protest on Friday in Thane. The protesters were seen on the road humming the song to register their protest.

The NCP was protesting against the Thane Municipal Transport in Mumbra. TMT is the only public transport run by the civic authority. The party workers alleged that the Thane civic corporation was completely ignoring the development of the area.

Friday’s protest was to suggest that there aren’t any bus stops in the suburb. Though TMT buses run in the suburb, there are no bus stops. Thus, people have to stand on the roads and hail the buses to stop and then board them. The Thane corporation spends crores to develop the central city but in Mumbra, the civic corporation hasn’t paid any attention, complained the protestors, who were led by MLA Jitendra Awhad.

“The corporators can not even complain in the General body meeting. They have tried to put the bus stop subject many times , but the civic authority does not pay heed. There are no bus-stops in the area and women, senior citizen, children every day have to stand on the road to wait for the bus. The corporation has beautified the bus stops in the central city but has forgotten that Mumbra is also the part of the city and hence, the protest.' Said, Dr. Jitendra Awhad

The protesters had binoculars with them and pretend to be searching for bus stops on the roads of Mumbra while singing the song, ‘Kaha Gaya Use Dhoondo’.

The protest started from Kausa police beat station with corporator Shanu Pathan singing the song, as the other protesters followed him. The protesters also had funny signboards in their hands tagged with emoticons that taunted the transport authority.

The protesters also stopped buses and spoke to commuters and drivers and conductors as well.

“We even asked the bus drivers, who said that there are no bus stops, but they said that they halt where the previous bus stops used to be there or where people wait for the bus. We, the corporators, tried to speak about this issue in the general body, but the ruling party Shiv Sena does not allow us to speak,” complained corprotor Shanu Pathan.

There were 30 bus stops previously, from Kausa to Retibunder. More than 8,000 people travel from Mumbra everyday but they have to wait on the roads for buses, added Pathan.

The corporation does not pay attention to Mumbra and we will arrange public meetings and expose this, warned NCP. There will be more protests against the civic corporation and the ruling party which ignores the wards, they claimed.

The protesters had binoculars with them and pretend to be searching for bus stops on the roads of Mumbra while singing the song,‘Kaha Gaya Use Dhoondo’. Friday’s protest was a way of highlighting the anguish of the people and showing that there aren’t any bus stops in the suburb