BMC dwells over trench menace

MUMBAI, February 7: The nuisance caused by trenches dug across the city came up for discussion in the general body meeting of the Brihanmumb...

MUMBAI, February 7: The nuisance caused by trenches dug across the city came up for discussion in the general body meeting of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) yesterday.

The issue was raised by Congress corporator Babubhai Bhawanji who pointed out that roads were being dug throughout the year to undertake works by the BEST, MTNL and BMC. Contractors did shoddy work yet drew full charges from the BMC funds, he charged. Agreeing, several other corporators talked of the problems in their wards. Corporator Parag Awlani from Vile Parle recounted that some six hundred residents recently gheraoed him on problems caused as a result of trenches.

Mayor Vishakha Raut, concurring on the issue said the administration should take cognizance of them as the public were put to great inconvenience.

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Additional commissioner V Ramani explained that whenever tenders were taken out for road works, the administration received very low quotations in response. These were instantly rejected.

"However certaincontractors went to court and acquired an order to undertake works from the municipal corporation. Even after this, they are not in a position to commence work," rued Ramani stating the BMC will blacklist such contractors in future.

Further, Ramani said that each ward will try to departmentally complete the unfinished works or even get contractor’s from neighbouring wards to do the task.

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