BMC spent Rs 21k cr on repair, maintenance, construction of roads

According to the response given by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to a Right to Information (RTI) application, the civic body has used more than Rs 21,000 crore on the repair, maintenance and construction of new roads in over two decades. The data further revealed that Rs 3,201 crore was used between 2013 and 2014. Shortly after, in 2015, the road scam came to knowledge, raising questions over the expense. Andheri MLA Ameet Satam, in a reply to his RTI plea asking details, told the media that this January, the BMC said that its road department had used over Rs 21,000 crore since 1997. Satam said that bad roads are among the most pressing issues in Mumbai city, yet their condition has not improved for decades. There are various causes for this, one being the lack of coordination between many utility agencies and the BMC. When a road is freshly constructed, the very next year it is dug for laying of cables. Another challenge is that no major road construction company comes forward to take up works as the tender size is insignificant for them. Data from the BMC’s pothole complaints website reveals that their numbers have surged to 437 compared to 315 in 2020. Dhaval Shah of Andheri Lokhandwala Residents’ Association told the media that citizens need not complain about potholes. The civic body has its ward level teams that are likely to move around. They should guarantee that a pothole or any bad road patch in their ward is filled once they notice it, said Shah. Authorities called it a vicious circle as adequate quality checks are not done when a road is repaired, no one asks for the best quality work for the huge amount of money paid, and, traffic is only increasing, putting greater pressure on city roads, which go on to improve potholes or rough patches in a few years after repairs. Image Source Also read: Gramin Sadak Yojana: West Bengal to redevelop 10 year old roads Also read: BMC to redevelop and beautify Saat Rasta in central Mumbai