By IANS,
Mumbai : Shiv Sena leader Udhav Thackeray Monday called on Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan at the state legislature to raise the problems faced by Mumbaikars, particularly with monsoon round the corner.
Thackeray’s visit to Vidhan Bhavan, where the monsoon session began this morning, took political circles by surprise.
After the meeting, Thackeray told media persons that he highlighted the problems faced by Mumbaikars.
“There are many infrastructure projects launched by the state government, currently underway in the city. This could lead to flooding during the monsoon. Who will be responsible for this?” Thackeray said.
The Shiv Sena leader said he had urged Chavan to ensure that no infrastructure project in the city was undertaken without prior clearance from the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), the civic body ruled by the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (SS-BJP) alliance.
He said that the chief minister has agreed to consider the demand.
Currently, scores of big and small infrastructure projects like the metro railway, flyovers, skywalks, road widening and improvement are underway in the city and suburbs. A majority of these have been undertaken by the state government through its various departments, or private parties.
Due to these, several roads have been dug up around the city, causing great inconvenience to the people and leading to traffic snarls and delays. There is also a likelihood of several areas in the city getting flooded or submerged during the monsoon due to the ongoing construction work and the blame falling on the MCGM.
Thackeray was given a rousing welcome when he arrived at the Vidhan Bhavan accompanied by former Lok Sabha Speaker and state chief minister Manohar Joshi. He was received by Opposition Leader in the Assembly Ramdas Kadam, senior leader Suresh Jain, party spokesperson Neelam Gorhe and other leaders.