MNS protests outside minister's event venue to highlight condition of Mumbai-Goa highway

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Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Friday staged a protest outside the venue of an event attended by PWD minister Ravindra Chavan to highlight the condition of the Mumbai-Goa Highway, reported news agency PTI.

MNS activists led by party leader Sandeep Deshpande shouted slogans outside the Shanmukhananda Auditorium at Mumbai's Kings Circle where Chavan was present for a felicitation function of engineers on the occasion of Engineers' Day, which is observed on September 15, reported PTI.

The Mumbai police had deployed a large number of its personnel to keep the situation under control, but it became chaotic for some time after cops pushed media persons covering the protest, reported PTI.

Speaking to reporters, Sandeep Deshpande said that they were opposed to the felicitation of engineers as they are the ones who are responsible for the condition of the Mumbai-Goa highway.

Replying to a query about Union minister Narayan Rane's remark that one lane of the highway has been concretised, Deshpande claimed that the newly built cement concrete lane has also developed cracks and potholes.

"Forgot the adjoining road, we have shown cracks on the completed road. A video of it has also been posted on my Facebook account. Rane saheb can watch it," Sandeep Deshpande was quoted as saying by PTI.

The MNS leader said they were there to protest peacefully and not to create a ruckus at the programme.

Last month, the party took out 'Padayatra' (foot march) on the highway in which party chief Raj Thackeray and his son Amit had also participated.

Meanwhile, the MNS has opposed the Thane civic body's move to set up a cancer treatment facility at the Global Covid Hospital in the city, saying it must first expand the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital at Kalwa where 18 patients died in a 24-hour period last month, reported PTI.

Avinash Jadhav, Thane-Palghar chief of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), told reporters here that the load on the Kalwa hospital has increased manifold and patients there are facing untold miseries due to its poor infrastructure, reported PTI.

Avinash Jadhav said a trust will soon start a cancer facility at the Global Covid Hospital in Saket area.

However, he said the Global Covid Hospital premises and its equipment must be used to upgrade and expand the Kalwa hospital. "It is the need of the hour," he said.

The MNS leader said they are not at all opposed to a cancer hospital in Thane. "The TMC can give another piece of land to the trust to start the facility," he said.

The 40-year-old Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital at Kalwa was under the spotlight last month after 18 patients died there in a 24-hour period.

Jadhav said MNS will move the court if their demand is ignored.

TMC has planned to spend Rs 26 crore to renovate the Kalwa hospital but it will be a complete waste as the facility is old. The hospital is already 40 years old and it should be pulled down and rebuilt for which at least Rs 100 crore will be needed, he said.

(With inputs from PTI)