Acting on this newspaper’s report that MMRDA’s foot over bridges (FOBs) at IIT-Powai gate had turned into a haunt for couples engaging in inappropriate behaviour, the MMRDA has decided to put an end to it by providing electricity installations and proper maintenance at all the city’s FOBs and skywalks constructed by it.
It has come out with a notice inviting tenders with an estimated cost of `47.36 lakh. The notice, signed by the executive engineer, says that tenders are invited upto December 3, 2013.
“It is our priority to restore all public conveniences immediately, which includes electricity installation. This tender will address all the issues,” said Dilip Kawathkar, joint project director of MMRDA. Local MLA Naseem Khan, who has been following up with the MMRDA to come with infrastructure related issues as guardian minister said, “I instructed officials to take up this issue and MMRDA has come forward to solve the issue.”
Meanwhile, those who had launched a scathing attack on the authority for its inability to maintain FOBs and skywalks hailed this decision and termed it as a ‘better late that never’ step.
The local units of BJP, Shiv Sena and RPI (A) had put up a poster at the FOB in front of IIT-Powai, which said that it had turned into a “lover’s point’ and an ‘open bar’.
Srinivas Tripathi, BJP president of northeast district of Mumbai said, “The MMRDA woke up when its lackadaisical attitude appeared in the newspaper, otherwise we would not have expected this so soon.” He added, “There are many more issues in eastern suburbs, which this alliance is going to rake up.”
Locals said that the FOBs in the area have been left unattended by the MMRDA ever since they opened up. They have never seen electric lighting and even the tiling has not been completed. The MMRDA has always been drawing flak from the citizen groups and experts for its poor planning.
Source: http://www.asianage.com/mumbai/mmrda-wakes-skywalks-336
Picture Source: http://www.mumbaimirror.com/photo/16120702.cms