Guardian minister of Mumbai suburbs Arif Naseem Khan tells Surendra Gangan that the Shiv Sena- BJP combine has neglected Mumbai’s suburbs to such an extent that the state government had to intervene and provide basic amenities to people. Excerpts from the interview:
Q: From your viewpoint as guardian minister, where has the BMC failed?
A: The Sena-BJP-run BMC has failed on almost every front, right from the provision of drinking water to sewage management and health services. There are slum pockets in areas like Andheri, Jogeshwari, Ghatkopar, Asalfa village, Govandi and Saki Naka where drinking water is supplied by tankers. Less than 50% of the city’s residents get water through taps. Middle and lower middle-class residents are paying the price for the nexus between the water mafia and BMC officials.
Q: What has the state government done to provide a better standard of living to people in the suburbs?
A: We have made adequate provisions for basic amenities from the district planning and development committee allocation. The beatification of Juhu, Aksa beach, Powai and Elephanta Caves have been undertaken to attract tourists. Some of the projects are underway while others are in the pipeline.
We also had to put pressure on health services in government-run hospitals as BMC clinics and dispensaries have proved disastrous.
Q: The state has been talking about corruption at the BMC level…
The corruption has increased, right from the ward level to the headquarters of the civic body in the last few years. The administration has been imitating its political leadership that is well-known for corrupt practices in the civic body. The corruption has reached such an extent that the BMC did not even spare plots reserved for Recreational Grounds (RG) and Play Grounds (PG).
There are many instances of the BMC favouring private builders in the use of such plots. Presidential Towers in Ghatkopar is one such violation.
Q: Rehabilitation of slumdwellers affected in the airport development has lagged behind schedule…
A: The recent changes in rules and protection given to the structure of the slums have enabled us to bring the eligibility of slums to a moderate number. In the next two to three months, we will be able to rehabilitate slumdwellers in the first phase.
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