Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The dilapidated condition of roads in the North Assembly constituency of the state capital sparked a heated confrontation on Friday, when MLA Atif Aqeel reached the ISBT-based municipal commissioner’s office, and held a closed-door meeting with additional municipal commissioner Varun Awasthi for nearly an hour, raising concerns about the civic body’s negligence.
The MLA expressed strong displeasure after BMC executive engineer Nandkishore Deharia failed to attend the meeting he had called.
Aqeel criticised the administration for not repairing potholes along Durga Visarjan procession route, despite repeated complaints.
The MLA said that festivals were approaching and every year the corporation would arrange additional lighting along the routes. However, this year, no arrangements have been made. “We have been continuously reminding officials from the mechanical and electrical departments for the past two days, yet they are not paying attention,” Aqueel stated.
The affected stretches include Old Chowk, Regiment Road, Teela Jamalpura, Sindhi Colony to DIG Bungalow Square, Ghoda Nakkas and Nadra Bus Stand. These areas are traditionally important for Navratri processions and the Dussehra celebrations.
ADC Awasthi told Free Press that the concerns were raised by the MLA and instructions had been issued to the concerned departments to resolve the issues promptly.
