A promise made by former CM Vilasrao Deshmukh and Anil Deshmukh, PWD minister in his cabinet, to ban parking below flyovers is not being kept by their successors.
A promise made by former CM Vilasrao Deshmukh and Anil Deshmukh, PWD minister in his cabinet, to ban parking below flyovers is not being kept by their successors.
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) reopened sale of tenders on March 2 for the
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DANGEROUS: Former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had promised to ban parking under the flyovers due to security concerns. FILE PIC |
beautification and use of space below flyovers on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH). The modified tenders allow for the use of the space for ad displays, showrooms (without retail sale) and parking of vehicles.
Vimal Mundada, Chairman of MSRDC and PWD minister, said, "If the tender ads mention that parking below flyovers is allowed, we will follow the instructions accordingly." Mundada's predecessor Anil Deshmukh, who hasn't read the ad, told MiD DAY that he continues to maintain that parking below flyovers is dangerous.
"Parking below flyovers is dangerous because vehicles are dumped at a spot for days, and this poses a terror threat." Vilasrao Deshmukh, who had apprehensions about terrorists exploiting flyover parking, had reportedly given oral instructions to the MSRDC to stop the pay-and-park system below flyovers.
"The police should take due care before allowing vehicles to be parked at such places," Deshmukh told MiD DAY. MSRDC sources revealed that the 16 flyovers that offer the the pay-and-park facility earns them Rs 190 lakh annually. "How can we abandon such a lucrative source?" asked an MSRDC official.
CM Ashok Chavan told this reporter that he was in New Delhi and would have to study the issue before commenting.
