Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti has urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to waive off penalty of Rs 2,000 per pothole imposed by the BMC to Ganpati mandals.
BMC Fine Reduced After Samiti Protest
This year for the first time, the BMC had imposed fine of Rs 15,000 per hole for mandals to discourage them from digging the newly concretised roads in the city. Several sarvajanik Ganpati mandals dig holes on the roads to erect their pandals. However, after protest by the samiti, the civic body reversed the fine to Rs 2,000 per hole.
Mumbai has approximately 12,000 sarvajanik Ganpati mandals, of which the BMC last year gave permissions to more than 2,200 mandals to set up pandals.
CM Promises Consideration For Complete Waiver
Samiti's President Naresh Dahibhawkar said, "The CM has promised to consider completely waiving off the fines. Almost 60% of the mandals do not dig the road as their pandals are not big. Whoever does it, they are fill the holes immediately after the festival ends. From last couple of years the BMC is imposing fine of Rs 2,000, however, none of the mandals paid as they filled the holes themselves."
"Many mandals are not rich enough to pay the penalties. Thus, we requested to waive it off as they have promised to fill it immediately," Dahibhawkar said.
The samiti had meeting with CM Devendra Fadnavis, DCM Ajit Pawar and other ministers ahead of the 10-days Ganesh festival which starts from August 27.
Shiv Sena Issues Warning Over Highway Potholes
Meanwhile, on Tuesday during a meeting with Ganpati mandals representatives, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray issued a strong warning that Ganpati mandals will not pay any penalty for road-digging unless the state government first repairs every single pothole on the Mumbai-Goa highway. He pointed out that Ganpati mandals traditionally dig small holes in the ground to fix bamboo poles.
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Additional Request To Waive Fire Engine Charges
The samiti on Wednesday also requested the CM to waive off the amount of Rs 1.25 lakh per day towards fire engines deployed near Lalbaugcha Raja. The most famous and one the tallest Lalbaugcha Raja Ganpati in celebrated full fervour for 10 days and lakhs of devotees across the country visit. As preventive measures, the Mumbai Fire Brigade deploys a fire engine 24/7 near the mandal.
