Is this Indian Army's job? Angry reactions on Twitter after plan to construct new FoB at Elphinstone Road

The decision to take the Army's help in the construction of a new foot overbridge at Mumbai's Elphinstone Road station has not gone down as well as Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, Defence Minister Sitharaman and Railway Minister Goyal​ would have hoped. Social media was abuzz on Tuesday morning questioning why defence resources were being used for civilian works.

Visiting the site of the deadly stampede last month that killed 23 people and injured many others, CM Fadnavis said, "We are taking the Army's help in building a new FOB at the Elphinstone Road station and at two other suburban train stations (Currey Road in Central railway and Ambivali Road Bridge in Thane). I have been informed that the work on these bridges will be completed by January 31."

Sitharaman said, "This is probably the first time we have asked the Army to come in to build what could otherwise be called a civil work, but Elphinstone tragedy was so big." "A call was taken to cooperate seeing the urgency of the matter as the Army has its role at the borders. The Army has come and seen, inspected and assessed where the bridge is going to be built, they will be there at every stage of the work," she said.

Meanwhile, plenty of criticism could be seen being voiced on Twitter regarding the issue. 

The @adgpi job is to train for war, not to be used for civilian works @nsitharaman ji. Don’t divert defence resources to civilian jobs(1/2).

— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) October 31, 2017

China digs 1100-km tunnel to divert Brahmaputra. Our PM inaugurates flyovers, 2 ministers call Army to build Elphinstone pedestrian bridge

— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) October 31, 2017

Indian Army To Be Hired For Building #Elphinstone Bridge? Soon They Will Be Hired For Giving Potholes free road?CM Fadnavis #MajhaSarkar ??

— Niraj Bhatia (@bhatia_niraj23) October 31, 2017

Sad day for India.The civil&Rly admin has failed.The FOBs to b made by Army. Seriously!!Is it Army’s job??is there a national calamity?COAS?

— Subhash (@SubhashG5156) October 31, 2017

Why is Army involved in something as basic as this ?

— Rohan Deshmukh (@rohandes) October 31, 2017

@Dev_Fadnavis going low by asking Army to construct #elphinstone bridge; so many prblms al ovr India.Shud Army engage in each one?Wht r u 4

— Girish Shinde (@GirishShinde2) October 31, 2017

Shame! If Army hs to do ths job becuz of th incompetency of civil authorities let thn Army handle th entire nation inlc politics. Sad

— AK (@K1985Amit) October 31, 2017

Sir just because the army can do it more efficiently doesn't mean Army should be used for these purposes. Army is for defence of the country

— A Nationalist (@Peacef_Warrior) October 31, 2017

It’s a slap on the face of Bombay Municipal Corporation that army needs to be roped in to build a foot over bridge #ElphinstoneBridge

— Brikesh (@Brikesh) October 31, 2017

Wat is this new stunt of involving Army in building foot over bridge? This expertise not available with civilian organisations? #Elphinstone

— V Gopalan (@TheGopalan) October 31, 2017

This ain’t your job Madam! Army shouldn’t be covering for @PiyushGoyal ministry failures.

— vivek mohandas (@vivemoh) October 31, 2017