The Times of India 04.09.2010
BMC liable for damage, says corporator
MUMBAI: Stories of damage to vehicles and injuries to commuters from Vile Parle, Malad and Kandivli were talked about in Friday’s civic meet. “The BMC is the richest municipal body in India, and if it can’t ensure that the defects on the roads are speedily repaired, it must be held liable, should these potholes cause injury or damage,” said Vile Parle corporator Vidya Chavan.
In other incidents, corporators have also been called upon to negotiate and find a middle path. In Malad’s Orlem village, a female corporator was made to come out on the street and help mediate between a biker and civic officials after a pothole accident.
“The biker broke his bones and was venting his ire on the officials when I reached there,” said the corporator. Congress corporator Geeta Yadav, whose father suffered fractures after falling into a pothole, said it was vital to devise a compensation system. “But if this continues, the BMC will end up spending more on compensation than on repairing roads,” she said.
