BJP and Shiv Sena (UBT) MLAs demand answers over poor quality road work, delays
MLAs from Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction remained silent during the debate in the Assembly. File pic/Ashish Raje
A Political storm is brewing over the concreting of Mumbai’s roads, with BJP and Shiv Sena (UBT) MLAs putting Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde under scrutiny. The debate, which unfolded in the state Legislative Assembly last week, raised serious concerns about the inferior quality and delays in concreting stretches.
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BJP legislators Amit Satam, Atul Bhatkalkar and Yogesh Sagar demanded a detailed report on the ongoing work. Meanwhile, Opposition parties, including Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, joined the discussion. While UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray alleged corruption in the project, Congress MLA Amin Patel pushed for a meeting of all Mumbai MLAs—across party lines—with BMC officials and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the Urban Development (UD) department overseeing municipal bodies.
The previous government, led by Shinde and then-Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, had initiated the cement concrete (CC) road project to make Mumbai pothole-free. However, as MLAs questioned the BMC over road conditions, the focus shifted to the UD department, which has been under Shinde’s leadership in both the previous and current Mahayuti governments.
Interestingly, Shiv Sena MLAs from Shinde’s own faction remained silent during the debate, raising eyebrows and fueling speculation about whether the Shinde-led faction is unhappy with the criticism. The absence of Shinde camp MLAs in a discussion crucial to Mumbaikars sparked talk of possible unease within the faction.
Even Speaker Rahul Narwekar suggested that the state government consider an Economic Offences Wing (EOW) inquiry into Mumbai’s CC road project. Following his directive, a meeting was held on Monday at Vidhan Bhavan, attended by Shinde, BMC officials, and Mumbai MLAs, including those from the Shinde camp. The BMC was instructed to ensure the completion of all ongoing concreting work by May 31 and explore the feasibility of using mastic asphalt for roads shorter than 15 metres instead of CC.
While speaking to the media after the budget session on Wednesday, Shinde did not directly address the issue but dismissed any speculation about discord within the Mahayuti coalition. “Whenever one of us—Ajit Pawar, Devendra Fadnavis, or myself—is absent from a meeting, the media immediately starts speculating about turbulence. There’s nothing of that sort between us,” he asserted.
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