Indian Express 10.06.2010
Corporators pull up civic body for incomplete nullah work
Express News Service Tags : nullah-desilting work, mumbai Posted: Thu Jun 10 2010, 00:16 hrs
Mumbai:
Lashing out at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for incomplete nullah-desilting work, the corporators on Wednesday threatened disciplinary action against officials ranging from ward-level engineers to the deputy municipal commissioners. They also rubbished civic body’s claims of completing 95% nullah cleaning work and said that the work was not upto the mark.
Congress MLA and leader of the Opposition in the BMC Rajhans Singh said that despite all corporators and MLAs repeatedly urging the BMC to carry out the nullah cleaning work properly, the administration has been lax. “I am not squarely blaming the Shiv Sena-BJP combine because it is in power. All parties are to be blamed in that case. The main culprit are officials who are not making sure that contractors carry out the work properly,” said Singh.
Open nullahs in the city have been a cause of concern as dumping of garbage chokes them resulting in flooding during monsoons.
The BMC has spent about Rs 70 crore in awarding contracts for carrying out desilting work throughout the year. Corporators complained that despite the contract terms require contractors to carry out the desilting work regularly throughout the year, it is done just a month before the rains.
NCP leader and corporator from Antop Hill, Niyaz Vanu, said, “Many minor and major nullahs are still in bad condition in my area. There is a need to carry out desilting work regularly. The BMC wakes up just weeks before the monsoon. In my area, less than 45 per cent has been completed so far.”
Shiv Sena corportaor and standing committee chairman Rahul Shewale said that unless action is taken against officials, the nullah work will continue to remain unsatisfactory. “The vigilance department should inspect all nullahs within the next two days and give us a report. Officials in areas where the work is not done should be penalized,” said Shewale
Additional municipal commissioner AK Singh said that work will be completed before the monsoon. “Ninety-five per cent work has been completed. But whatever is incomplete, we will finish it at the ealiest,” said Singh.
