The Maharashtra government’s handling of infrastructure during the ongoing monsoon came under attack on Monday as Opposition legislators staged a protest outside the Vidhan Bhavan, alleging that heavy rainfall had exposed serious shortcomings in the state’s civic infrastructure.
Leaders from the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) accused the government of failing to safeguard citizens despite repeated claims of infrastructure development. Carrying placards and raising slogans, the legislators alleged that “Inframan” had gone missing, taking a swipe at the government’s infrastructure narrative. They claimed that Mumbai and several other parts of the state witnessed widespread disruption following the first spell of intense rainfall.
Senior Congress leaders Satej Patil and Vijay Wadettiwar, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Ambadas Danve and other Opposition members participated in the demonstration. They criticised the government over rain-related incidents, including deaths linked to open manholes and other civic infrastructure failures, and alleged that poor planning had affected the daily lives of residents.
Separately, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to clarify the status of the Missing Link project on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway after traffic was suspended due to heavy rainfall, flooding and landslides.
According to police, movement on both the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the old Mumbai-Pune highway was halted after a concrete pillar collapsed on the carriageway between the Connecting Link and Missing Link sections.
The 13-km Missing Link bypass, inaugurated two months ago, was designed to shorten the Mumbai-Pune journey by around 6 km and reduce travel time by 25 to 30 minutes.
“The chief minister should make a proper statement. Was there a thorough assessment of the Missing Link bridge and how much problem it may face during heavy rainfall? I appeal to the chief minister to make a statement about it as soon as possible,” Sule told reporters.
While stating that she would not comment on allegations of corruption, Sule said the actual cost of the project should be disclosed. She added that widespread public concern over the disruption was understandable, arguing that a single spell of heavy rain had significantly affected connectivity across the state.
“Connectivity between Mumbai and Pune has been affected. There is no certainty whether MLAs can reach Mumbai to attend the legislative session. All three roads, Tamhini Ghat, the old Mumbai-Pune highway and the Missing Link on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway are closed. This is just the beginning of the monsoon, and it has already affected the state,” Sule said.
Source: The Economic Times
