Rs 21-cr plan for Napean Sea road gets nod

Even after opposition from political parties, the civic standing committee on Wednesday cleared the proposal to rebuild 1.8-km stretch at Napean Sea Road in south Mumbai.

Even after opposition from political parties, the civic standing committee on Wednesday cleared the proposal to rebuild 1.8-km stretch at Napean Sea Road in south Mumbai.

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The HT had on February 16 reported that the civic body was spending Rs21 crore on a 1.8-km stretch from St Stephen's Church near Kemp's Corner to J Mehta Road. According to the proposal, the road, which is used by minister and other VIPs, will be given a new surface by using the 'mechanised mastic asphalt technology', which is normally used for junctions.

The amount is 31% more than the amount the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) spends on the other roads in the city.

The proposal has been criticised by corporators from the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party combine as well as the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party.

"Just because VIPs use the road, the BMC is spending such a large amount for improvisation. Would the same money be spent on roads in the suburbs?" questioned Yogesh Sagar, BJP corporator-turned-MLA from Kandivli.

Congress corporator Sameer Desai from Goregaon alleged that the suburbs were getting step-motherly treatment. "The administration is spending Rs21 crore for 1.8km, while the road improvisation of suburbs has been postponed till post-monsoon," he said.

Rajendraprasad Chaube from Congress pointed out the discrepancy in the amount that was spent in the city and the suburbs. "The civic body spends Rs12 crore on roads in the whole R-north (Dahisar) ward, which has 69-km road network," said Chaube.

Adtani said Rs13 crore would be spent on carriageway improvement, Rs3 core on pavement, and Rs5 crore would be spent on shifting the storm water drain.