Mumbai: Mumbai Congress President and MP Varsha Gaikwad, along with other party leaders, met BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani on Thursday to raise civic concerns. She alleged irregularities in the ongoing road concretisation and desilting works and demanded a thorough probe into the desilting malpractices.
Gaikwad was joined by MLA Aslam Sheikh, Amin Patel, Jyoti Gaikwad, and former Congress corporators. Addressing the media, she raised concerns on property tax, education, health, Muslim burial grounds, and solid waste management. She alleged poor waste management planning, with garbage piling up in many areas and numerous complaints from residents. “Mumbai residents are not receiving basic civic amenities,” she said.
Gaikwad accused authorities of deliberately showing losses in public sector units like MTNL, BSNL, and BEST to facilitate their privatisation. She noted that portraying the transport division in loss led to fare hikes, which reduced ridership.
“The public transport lifeline of Mumbaikars is being dismantled,” she said, urging the state government and BMC to allocate Rs. 1,000 crore to strengthen BEST. She also raised concerns about the Deonar abattoir, with the Commissioner assuring that all issues will be taken up with the state government.
