The much-awaited Naigaon road overbridge (ROB), a crucial connector between the east and the west, has finally been opened to the public. A former village sarpanch, in the presence of a local MLA, inaugurated it on Wednesday evening. The MMRDA completed the 1.3-km bridge on April 1, but its opening was stuck as the government couldn’t decide on the minister to cut the ribbon.

In a cover-page story on April 19, mid-day underlined how the bridge was caught in red-tape and awaited a minister for inauguration. Talking to mid-day, former mayor of Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) Pravin Shetty said, “The bridge was ready, but it was not opened to the public. A few days ago, mid-day published a story about it and revealed how it awaits a minister for inauguration. Local residents, who were at the receiving end, started asking why the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) wasn’t opening it if the state government is yet to decide the minister.”