Friday, Apr 19, 2024 | Last Update : 08:37 PM IST
Shiv Sena says shortage of stones for roadworks is ploy to mar name
Sanjay Darade, chief engineer (roads), said contractors would be held responsible if roadworks were not completed on time.
Mumbai: Shiv Sena, the ruling party in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), is seeing red over shortage of stones for roadworks in the city. So much so, Sena corporators have alleged that it is a ploy to bring disrepute to the party. The issue saw heated exchange between Sena and BJP corporators in the civic standing committee on Wednesday.
Raising the issue, senior Sena corporator Ashish Chemburkar said, “Due to shortage of stones, road works have been stalled across the city. If it rains, the roads, which have been dug up, will cause huge inconvenience to people. It is the responsibility of contractors and civic officials to make stones available for roadworks. When Jairaj Phatak was the municipal commissioner, there was shortage of asphalt. But he made provision for asphalt and completed road works.”
The Green Tribunal on March 31 directed closing down of stone quarries in Thane and Navi Mumbai due to which, more than 500 roadwork projects as well as resurfacing works in the city were stalled. These works had been given a May 31 deadline.
House leader Yashwant Jadhav from Sena questioned, “Just when the city roads were undergoing repair works at full flow, orders were issued to shut down stone quarries in Thane district by terming them illegal. Since last week, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has got no time to intervene in the matter. How can stone quarries, which have been running for several years, be labelled as unauthorised?”
To this, BJP said it was wrong to blame the CM. “The orders to shut down stone quarries have been issued by the Green Tribunal, not the CM,” said BJP group leader Manoj Kotak.
Sanjay Darade, chief engineer (roads), said contractors would be held responsible if roadworks were not completed on time.
“It is the responsibility of contractors to make available stones for road works. Those who do not complete roads on time will be issued show-cause notices,” he said.
Mr Darade added that they had met the Thane collector, requesting him to postpone the deadline for stone quarries. Of the 583 works currently undertaken by BMC, 45 have been completed. About 110 ward-level road works had also been completed, he said.
