Fix roads to let us face voters: Corporators

MUMBAI : With an eye on the civic polls that are barely six months away, elected representatives in the Shiv Sena-ruled civic body have demanded smooth roads to

MUMBAI : With an eye on the civic polls that are barely six months away, elected representatives in the Shiv Sena-ruled civic body have demanded smooth roads to avoid the ire of citizens during Ganeshotsav. With hardly a few days left for the festival, the corporators said it was becoming difficult for them to face citizens owing to pothole-ridden roads in the city.

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The corporators raised concerns over Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) unpreparedness to tackle hundreds of potholes on roads ahead of Ganeshotsav. They also questioned if any changes have been brought in road construction technology after the scam and further demanded an assurance from the civic body that all potholes will be filled ahead of the festive season.

However, the civic body is yet to fill up of all the potholes as the August 26 deadline given to various mandals is just a day away and there are still hundreds of potholes pending to be repaired. With elections around the corner, the missed deadline will not send a positive message to the public, feared the ruling party corporators.

Four months after the road scam was brought to light, corporators on Wednesday pointed out the civic body’s shoddy work in a standing committee meeting, which discussed a fresh proposal on repairs. However, the proposal on road repairs was approved by the standing committee members.

“We want the civic body to complete filling of potholes before Ganeshotsav, so that we can at least face our voters, ” said Dilip Patel, a BJP corporator .

Pravin Chheda, Opposition leader and Congress corporator, demanded the BMC ensure meticulous supervision on road works as “they are answerable for the civic administration’s mistakes”.

Meanwhile, the pothole complaints have exceeded last year’s count. Last year, till August 23, 3,564 potholes were recorded; this year, the number of pothole complaints have gone up to 3,746.