Now that the BJP government has appropriated a constituency called Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the party has an onerous task at hand: to expedite infrastructure projects that were launched the day the foundation to Shivaji Maharaj memorial was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Now that the BJP government has appropriated a constituency called Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the party has an onerous task at hand: to expedite infrastructure projects that were launched the day the foundation to Shivaji Maharaj memorial was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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And it’s not just about the projects that were launched in the last week of 2016, but also about those that were kicked off the year before last.
Building blocks of Mumbai
It’s expected from the government to prioritise an emotional issue, like that of Shivaji Maharaj, in view of present state of politics, and at the same time, big-ticket projects in Mumbai, if pushed hard and completed on time, should stand testimony to Devendra Fadnavis’s vision and ability for execution.
Mumbai makeover has been the buzzword ever since late CM Vilasrao Deshmukh came up with the idea. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then, and even the very concept of development in the city has barely hit a chord with Mumbai’s needs.
Some projects have already been launched, but their execution was marred by delays and escalated costs. The BJP claims to have changed that for the better.
The CM has a war room in his office for monitoring all big projects in the state. The facility will have some projects to handle. The government also claims to have resolved the issue of uninterrupted funding for all city projects — all Metro corridors, trans-harbour link, elevated rail corridors, etc — that together will cost Rs 1.5-2 lakh crore.
Time for smooth coordination
Other than projects that will change the city’s face, what people expect is better coordination between the BMC and state government agencies. Several verticals that have been working on the city have caused serious issues in planning and execution.
This year, Mumbai will elect yet another civic government for the next five years. Whoever the city chooses to govern the largest civic body in the country should live up to the mandate and respect people’s wishes for better living conditions, because state-funded transport projects and memorials alone cannot make one’s life easy, better civic amenities too matter in a difficult city like ours.