Mumbai: Concerns over the poor quality of Mumbai’s concrete road work took centre stage in the Assembly on Monday, prompting a heated discussion, with Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray demanding an inquiry by the Economic Offenses Wing (EOW).
At the time, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was seated right in front of him. Aaditya said that he will raise the issue with the Chief Minister as well. Videos from Monday’s meeting surfaced, capturing key moments. In one video, all MLAs, except Aaditya, stand as a protocol gesture when Shinde enters. While all the MLAs were gathered, Shinde initially came out near the Speaker’s cabin but then went back to the Legislative Council.
The MLAs, including Aaditya, waited for a long time for his arrival. However, when he didn’t return, Speaker Rahul Narwekar started the meeting. Shinde arrived in the last 10 minutes, where he heard the MLAs’ suggestions and assured them that the work would be completed by May 31.
The complaints cut across party lines, with even minister Ashish Shelar highlighting problems related to work in his constituency. Presenting a progress report on the projects, Shinde informed that 23% of work under Phase 1 has been completed, while Phase 2 has seen only 0.5% progress.
Additionally, MLAs suggested that smaller roads (less than 15mt wide) should be resurfaced with asphalt instead of concrete. A followup meeting on this issue is scheduled for April 25 to review the progress and address ongoing concerns.
