No using paver blocks for road repairs, say Mumbai civic body councillors
Municipal councillors and party leaders also demanded an inquiry into the project consultant as use of paver blocks for new roads work is illegal.
Upset over delayed and cancelled road works, the civic body in a meeting on Wednesday decided to stall new proposals for road works in the city.
Members of the committee rejected proposals for road works costing around Rs50 crore.
They ordered an inquiry into a proposal to repair 11 internal roads in Malad (W) using paver blocks, which were banned by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) last year after the Standing Technical Advisory Committee suggested not to use paver blocks for main roads.
Of the 12 proposals of road repair, three were recorded or rejected by the committee from final approval.
According to the rejected proposal, the cost of repairing roads with paver blocks would be Rs17.66 crore.
Municipal councillors and party leaders also demanded an inquiry into the project consultant as use of paver blocks for new roads work is illegal.
The committee had first used the paver blocks in 2002, but they loosened and formed potholes. In 2015, the BMC started removing paver blocks and started laying roads using asphalt.
Other proposals with a total budget of Rs 150 crore have been put on hold, said leader of opposition in BMC, Ravi Raja.
Municipal councillors of the committee said that finishing all road work within a year of approval would reduce costs by at least 5 per cent.
“Work on a lot of roads in Andheri(W) including New Link road and Walawalkar road has been stalled due to metro work after tendering,” said councillor Rajul Patel.
Samajwadi Party leader Rais Shaikh said the BMC cancelled 30-40 roads in S and T wards after giving work order.
“We have found that after passing proposals for over 250 road works earlier this year, 25 per cent of them have been deleted without committee’s knowledge. We demand a report be made on all current road works and why previous works were cancelled,” said Raja.
The standing committee said it would not pass new proposals for road works till inquiry is completed.