November 27, 2025: A series of major civic projects in Navi Mumbai—many completed months or even years ago—remain unused as the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) awaits inauguration dates from the chief minister and deputy chief minister. The issue resurfaced after the forceful unveiling of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Nerul by MNS leader Amit Thackeray, highlighting what critics call an administrative logjam driven by VIP scheduling.
Senior officials privately acknowledge that, despite substantial investments across key public sectors—transport, health, water supply, and community infrastructure—the primary obstacle is coordinating a common date for the top state leaders to formally inaugurate the completed facilities.
One of the largest projects caught in this delay is the Rs 190-crore Integrated Vashi Bus Terminus and Commercial Complex, which has remained unopened for over a year. Former corporator Raju Shinde remarked that the structure “has become a monument to indecision.”
Other public assets face similar stagnation. A Mother and Child Hospital in Koparkhairane and a ₹6-crore veterinary hospital in Juinagar have been ready for close to five years but continue to remain non-operational. Essential water-supply projects, completed months earlier, are also pending activation.
Community infrastructure worth Rs 350–450 crore—including vegetable markets and upgraded holding ponds—has been lying idle for three to five years, prompting criticism from political leaders. Calling the delays unacceptable, MNS leader Gajanan Kale said, “This is VIP culture at the public’s expense.”
Municipal commissioner Kailas Shinde stated that the corporation has begun operationalising buildings linked to essential services. However, an NMMC official, requesting anonymity, confirmed that “several projects will be commissioned as soon as we receive confirmations from the VVIPs.”
The backlog underscores growing concerns about governance inefficiencies, public inconvenience, and the mounting costs of unused civic infrastructure across Navi Mumbai.
Source: Hindustan Times
