Latest news with #MakarandNarwekar
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ex-corporator to BMC: Launch pothole portal, fine engineers ₹5K for delays
Mumbai: Following a spell of unseasonal rain that left Mumbai's streets waterlogged and riddled with potholes, former BJP corporator from Colaba, Makarand Narwekar, has written to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demanding the creation of a dedicated pothole complaint portal and a real-time public dashboard to track road repairs. In a letter addressed to BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, Narwekar highlighted the recurring issue of potholes, particularly during the monsoon, calling it a matter of urgent civic concern. 'To effectively tackle this annual menace, the BMC must establish a robust pothole management system that enables citizens to easily lodge complaints and monitor their resolution within a fixed timeframe,' he wrote. 'A real-time dashboard, accessible to the public, should be developed to display the status of pothole repairs across the city.' To ensure accountability, Narwekar has proposed stringent penalties for delays in repair work. He recommended that road engineers and contractors be fined ₹5,000 per pothole for every day repairs remain pending beyond 48 hours of being reported. He also criticised the slow pace of the civic body's ongoing road concretisation project in south Mumbai, warning that the May 31 deadline is unlikely to be met. 'If the current pace continues, Mumbaikars will again be forced to endure pothole-ridden roads throughout the monsoon,' he cautioned.
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
BMC permits free parking at 24 locations in A ward
MUMBAI: Following a sting operation that exposed a parking racket in the Kala Ghoda area and whistleblower complaints regarding the mafia controlling nearly 60% of the pay-and-park facilities across the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided not to renew contracts with 24 private parking contractors in the A ward, which covers key areas in south Mumbai. Instead, the civic body will allow free parking in at least 10 of the 24 locations in the ward once existing parking contracts expire. The move is aimed at restoring public trust and curbing the rampant practice of parking operators charging exorbitant fees or collecting money without authorisation. Among the areas where parking has been made free are Jamnalal Bajaj lane, where the contract expired on May 24, and the area around Eros Cinema, where the contract will expire on May 31. No charges will be payable for parking at eight other locations in the island city once contracts expire on May 31, said an official from the A ward. 'We are initiating spot quotations to appoint new contractors for all 24 locations. Till the tender process is completed, parking at these locations will remain free of cost,' said the A ward official. The A ward, a heritage and tourism hotspot, sees high vehicular traffic due to the presence of many government offices, commercial hubs, and cultural sites. Sources in the civic body said the free parking provision would be a temporary measure while the BMC revisits the pay-and-park policy framework and introduces stricter transparency and accountability measures. The civic body will deploy its own staff at all 24 locations to oversee parking operations and assist motorists, the sources said. The BMC is also taking strict disciplinary action against those involved in the parking racket. The parking contractor at Kala Ghoda – who was found overcharging motorists and allowing parking in no parking zones during a BMC-led sting operation – has been booked under section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. A proposal has also been sent to the traffic department to blacklist the contractor. A hearing will be conducted soon to determine the tenure of blacklisting – spanning three to five years – depending on the tender conditions, said sources. Former BJP corporator from Colaba, Makarand Narwekar, had last week demanded that all illegal pay-and-park contracts be cancelled and parking be made free until the fresh tendering process was completed. The workings of the parking mafia came to light on April 25, when activist Santosh Daundkar raised the matter, detailing how parking contractors, some with alleged criminal backgrounds, operated a coordinated racket spanning A ward to T ward. The BMC is also cracking down on officials with alleged connections to the parking mafia. On April 17, assistant engineer Pawan Kawre from A ward was suspended pending a preliminary inquiry into his alleged role in mismanaging parking contracts under his jurisdiction.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Set up portal for potholes, fine engineers over delays
Mumbai: Against the backdrop of unseasonal rain in the city, former BJP corporator from Colaba, Makarand Narwekar, has demanded that BMC develop a 'pothole portal' and 'dashboard for complaints'. In a letter to the municipal commissioner, Narwekar has also demanded that a penalty of Rs 5,000 a day be imposed on road engineers if they fail to ensure that potholes are filled within 48 hours. The letter says that BMC should take steps to address the "recurring issue" of potholes which cause "immense inconvenience" to citizens, especially during monsoon. "It is, therefore, imperative to establish a robust pothole-filling system that enables citizens to report pothole complaints and track their resolution within a stipulated timeline. The civic body must also develop a live dashboard, which should be accessible to the public, and must display real-time updates on pothole repair status across the city," the former corporator has said. He has also said that to ensure timely action and accountability, the fine should be imposed on engineers and contractors who fail to address potholes promptly. "A fine of Rs 5,000 per pothole per day should be levied on road engineers for delays if potholes are not filled within 48 hours of being reported," Narwekar has said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Scalable retail: Video analytics firm enables more traffic thanks to robust computing power - Google Cloud: Future of Infrastructure CIO | Google Cloud, AMD Undo He has pointed out that the municipal corporation has not yet achieved its target for concretisation, and has stated that the work is progressing at a snail's pace in the island city. Against this backdrop, Narwekar has observed that it is highly likely that citizens would continue to suffer due to potholes during the monsoon season.
Time of India
11-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
BJP ex-corporator urges CM for ACB probe into CC road works ‘corruption'
Mumbai: Alleging irregularities in the 22 cement-concrete (CC) road works in south Mumbai's A ward, worth Rs 164 crore, former BJP corporator Makarand Narwekar has written to CM Devendra Fadnavis seeking an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) probe into all road works in the city. He claimed that there were serious discrepancies in the execution and billing, and that large-scale corruption could not be ruled contacted, senior BMC officials did not comment on the his letter to the CM, Narwekar alleged: "...there exists a disturbing nexus between certain contractors and senior BMC officials, which has resulted in inflated billing and misuse of public funds. Work Code C-320 is a case in point, where deliberate inflation of material quantities took place... while the actual purchase of construction materials, such as metal, gravel, steel, and cement, was around 50 tonnes, the contractors billed BMC for 100 tonnes....""An immediate independent inquiry by ACB into all CC road contracts across Mumbai should be ordered. A thorough audit of the contractors' books of accounts, including material purchases and invoices raised to BMC, must be conducted. Furthermore, a white paper on CC road works should be sought from BMC and be made public," he road works are ongoing across the city in two phases. Phase one, which began in Feb 2023, is expected to be completed by Dec 2025, while the deadline for phase two, which started in Aug-Sept 2024, is May 2027. tnn Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Mother's Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
Hindustan Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
HC seeks state's response to plea challenging jetty near Radio Club
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Friday directed the Maharashtra government to submit its response to a petition challenging the construction of a proposed passenger jetty and terminal near Radio Club in south Mumbai by June 7. The petition – filed by around 150 residents of Colaba including proprietors, tenants and business operators – contends that the project poses substantial risk of causing irreversible harm to the heritage precinct, marine ecosystem, adjacent infrastructure, and the overall quality of life for thousands of residents and visitors. Residents have been opposing the project since it was first proposed in early 2023, and those who have voiced their concerns include BJP MLA and speaker of the legislative assembly Rahul Narwekar and former councillor Makarand Narwekar. The project involves construction of a terminal platform on stilts in the sea, which would include parking for 150 cars, VIP waiting areas, ticket counters, administrative offices, restaurants, and retail spaces, a tennis racquet-shaped jetty and an amphitheatre. According to the petition, Colaba residents were assured that plans for a jetty at the location had not been finalised and a proposal to shift it to a different place was under consideration. But in January-February 2025, they learned that the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) had revived the proposal. A ceremonial ground-breaking ceremony was conducted at the site without any prior public consultation or notification, the petition states. On April 24, 2025, officers and staves of MMB barricaded a portion of the sea front pavement, obstructing pedestrian access, causing inconvenience, and creating safety hazards in an already congested area, it notes. The project will require demolition or alteration of a part of the seaside promenade, which will substantially impact the historic character of the area and restrict public access to the promenade, the petition contends. The project raises serious national security concerns due to its proximity to the Naval Dockyard, a high-security defence installation, the petition further contends, urging the court to stay construction activities and quash the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance granted by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) for the project. On Friday, senior advocate Aspi Chinoy, representing the petitioners, called the project arbitrary and illegal, and argued that clearances and no-objection certificates for the project were issued without following due process. Authorities had already barricaded the project area and demarcated the portion of the promenade that will be knocked down, Chinoy informed the court. Advocate general Birendra Saraf, appearing for the state, assured the court that the wall would not be broken before June 20. After the brief hearing, the division bench of chief justice Alok Aradhe and justice MS Karnik directed the respondents to file their reply by June 7, with any rejoinder to be submitted on or before June 12. The next hearing is scheduled on June 16.
