Navi Mumbai: Officials of the Public Work Department (PWD) have been told to fix the damaged Sion-Panvel highway and Thane-Belapur road within a month, Minister of State for PWD Pravin Pote-Patil has said.
The minister, who visited the area on Sunday, assured that strict action will be taken against the people responsible if the work is not done on time. “The previous contractor was assigned the ₹1,220-crore work on Sion-Panvel highway, but it was not done properly. These roads need immediate concretisation. I have asked MLA Manda Mhatre to keep an eye on the work here and to keep me updated,” Mr. Pote-Patil said.
Meanwhile, there were speculations that the road repairs were being carried out to portray the city in good light during the FIFA matches to be held next month at D.Y. Patil Stadium in Nerul.
Mr. Pote-Patil said, “This year, we will be concentrating on roads all over the State. Our vision is to make accident-proof roads.”
Ms. Mhatre said the minister’s visit to the city was because of her efforts to follow up the problem with the department concerned. “There have been accidents on these roads, and the police have taken action as well, but that is not enough. These accidents need to be prevented, and for that roads have to be maintained well,” Ms. Mhatre said.
From January to July 2017, as many as 96 accidents were reported on Sion-Panvel highway, which claimed 16 lives. Similarly, 59 accidents claimed six lives on Thane-Belapur road during this period.
