September 23, 2025: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) has called on the Maharashtra government to release a White Paper on the construction quality and expenditure of the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, popularly known as Atal Setu, after potholes were reported just 18 months after its inauguration.
Haji Shahnawaz Khan, AIMIM’s in-charge for Navi Mumbai, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, and also state general secretary of the party’s students’ wing, raised concerns over the project’s execution. He highlighted that despite the government spending Rs 7,840 crore on the ambitious sea bridge, its road surface had already begun to deteriorate in under two years.
The state government has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 crore on the contractor responsible. However, Khan argued that such a fine was negligible in comparison to the project’s overall cost and the significant profits likely earned by the construction firm. “Permitting contractors to escape with minor fines creates a dangerous precedent for future development works,” he remarked.
AIMIM has demanded that the contractor be blacklisted, that criminal proceedings be initiated against those accountable, and that the company be barred from bidding for government projects in the future. The party has also pressed for a comprehensive White Paper detailing the overall expenditure, land acquisition costs, and the names of all companies and contractors involved in the bridge’s construction.
Khan further stressed that the citizens of Maharashtra had the right to know the full truth about the Atal Setu project. He urged the state administration to ensure transparency and accountability in the matter.
The demand adds to growing public scrutiny over infrastructure quality in Mumbai, where large-scale projects are increasingly being questioned for their durability and governance standards.
Source: The Free Press Journal
